By EZEKIEL OBI, Abuja –
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Moji Adeyeye, has vowed to ensure that the country do not end up becoming a dumping ground for chemicals banned in other countries.
Prof. Adeyeye, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, said it was not true that 40 per cent of the registered brands of pesticide products in Nigeria were banned or restricted for use by European Union.
She said NAFDAC has stringent requirement of ensuring that any pesticide to be imported into Nigeria is on the Market in the exporting country, the current Free Sale Certificate is authenticated by the Nigerian Embassy in the exporting country.
The NAFDAC boss also stated that in order to ensure that only active ingredients approved by the agency are allowed into the country, appointed testing agents (CRIA) and laboratories to conduct tests and forward results to the agency before any pesticide is shipped in.
Adeyeye stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) names four toxicity classes of pesticides:Class I – a: extremely hazardous, Class I – b: highly hazardous, Class II: moderately hazardous, Class III: slightly hazardous, Class U: Unlikely to present acute hazard.
She said these classifications are for guidance purposes to enable users to take necessary precautionary measures and to ensure the safety of food for humans, animals, and the environment.
Adequate quality control tests, she said, are carried out by the agency before granting certifications for all products that are either imported or manufactured within the country.
The NAFDAC boss disclosed that the field trial evaluation is conducted in collaboration with research institutes in Nigeria to determine the safety, quality and efficacy of new molecules as well as inspection of manufacturing facilities.
She said that all was in the aim to establish that a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) was in place to ensure that product manufactured meets the quality standard specification for the intended use.
Other regulatory activities she said include but not limited to the issuance of authority to clear, continual sensitization and awareness exercises for relevant stakeholders on safe and responsible use of pesticides, post-marketing surveillance to mop-up fake and unregistered products.
She added that the agency also does other regulatory activities such as destruction of destruction and seized of products.
According to her, the EU uses much lower Maximum Residual Limits (MRLs) than most other CODEX member countries, hence the EU raised observations for the codex secretariat and subsequently for World Trade Organisation (WTO) to take note.
She explained that products with active ingredients that are accepted by other codex member countries including Nigeria are not allowed into the EU.
Adeyeye pointed out that lack of scientific data in Nigeria has been identified as a gap why the country participants refrain from raising observations during codex meetings, and have no choice but to go by the general codex alimentarius resolutions.
The NAFDAC boss called on all relevant research institutions to generate enough data and make available such data for the Nigerian team that attends Codex Committee meeting on Pesticides Residues (CCPR) to advance the country’s interest.
The NAFDAC boss, however, said that all the pesticides approved for use by NAFDAC are also in use in other parts of the world, and called on investors to feel free and be confident to invest in Agricultural production in Nigeria.
She reiterated the agency determination and assurance to Nigerians that no stone would be left unturned to ensure that food products available to Nigerians are safe and wholesome.
Prof. Adeyeye said that NAFDAC in the last four years of her administration has been repositioned to effectively regulate all agricultural inputs such as pesticides, and agrochemicals amidst other regulated products.
She therefore advised the general public to visit the NAFDAC website (www.nafdac.gov.ng) for detail of banned pesticides.l, adding that, a prudent and responsible use of pesticides and agrochemicals was the paramount caution to use the products in Nigeria.
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