The recent disagreement between the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) over the use of methyl bromide by farmers and exporters on agricultural commodities question the credibility of Nigeria’s regulatory agencies.
Farmers and exporters use methyl bromide for storage, packaging and preservation of food products that are consumed locally or exported, experts say.
Experts say exposure during fumigation activities and consumption in food stored or packaged using the chemical cause toxic health effects as well as hasten ozone layer depletion.
“The disagreement between the two regulators over the use of methyl bromide tells a lot about food regulation in the country,” Victor Iyama, president, Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN), told BusinessDay.
“We importers are adhering to the warnings of NAFDAC over NAQS because we cannot afford rejection of our exported commodities. It has been banned globally because of its effect on health and the environment,” Iyama said.
Methyl bromide is a broad spectrum pesticide used in the control of pests, insects, weeds, pathogens, and rodents. It is considered to be a significant ozone-depleting substance.
The Montreal Protocol, which was finalised in 1987, had 183 countries sign the treaty to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS), information on the UN Environment website says.
In line with this agreement of which Nigeria is a signatory, and considering the health effect of methyl bromide, NAFDAC – the agency that regulates and controls quality standards for foods, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices and chemicals among others, banned the use of the pesticides in the country.
Moji Christiana Adeyeye, director-general of NAFDAC, while explaining to journalists the ban on the use of the chemical in the country recently, said methyl bromide causes toxic health effects and hastens ozone layer depletion.
Adeyeye stated that methyl bromide is a Class I Ozone Depleting Substance (ODS) that releases bromine atom which depletes the ozone layer.
According to experts, ozone layer depletion is one of the major causes of global warming and has attendant negative effects on health, food production and environment.
Ibrahim Kabiru, president, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), said both regulatory agencies should work in synergy to educate farmers and the general public on food safety.
“We want to reduce the residual of pesticides on the food production and ensure that they meet international standards,” Kabiru said.
NAQS, the regulatory agency in charge of promoting and regulating sanitary and phytosanitary measures in connection with imports and export of agricultural commodities, thinks otherwise.
The agency asked farmers to ignore the warnings of NAFDAC on the use of the agrochemical, saying it is still permissible.
NAQS also claims that it is within the purview of the agency to make pronouncement on the permissibility or otherwise.
Similarly, NAQS says the agro-chemical is a precondition for treatment of some exported commodities for certain countries.
Globally, some countries like have banned the use of the agro-chemical while in others, the pesticides are still in use.
