The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has raised the alarm over the illegal movement of banned and unregistered pesticides across Nigeria’s borders.
NAFDAC warned that the circulation of unsafe agrochemicals poses severe risks to public health, food safety, and the environment.
The agency stated that it had intensified surveillance and enforcement operations to dismantle illegal pesticide supply chains and prevent prohibited products from entering the Nigerian market through neighboring countries and unauthorised routes.
In a statement obtained by Sunday PUNCH on Saturday, signed by its Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC expressed concern that pesticides lacking required regulatory assessment could infiltrate local markets via informal distribution channels.
“The illegal movement of banned and unregistered pesticides across our borders poses a serious threat to public health, food safety, and the environment,” Adeyeye stated.
The agency disclosed that it seized banned agrochemicals valued at more than N800m across Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states in 2025 as part of efforts to curb the circulation of unsafe agricultural chemicals.
