The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the immediate ban on importation and manufacture of 100ml pack size of Agricultural formulations of Dichlorvos with immediate effect.
Originally an agricultural formulation for pest control, Dichlorvos is the name of the compound used to describe popular brands such as Sniper, Tankill, Gladiator Liquid, Executor Liquid, Smash Super Liquid, DD Force, Glovan, Philopest, Wonder Liquid, Rid-Off, NOPEST and SUMODDVP.
These products according to a statement from Moji Adeyeye, director general of NAFDAC, are misused as household insecticide and direct misapplication on agricultural produce. The abuse and misuse of the 100ml of these products is associated with serious Public Health hazards such as cancer and respiratory disorder.
Beyond this, however, the products have in recent times become the tool of choice in committing suicide. There have been other tragic cases of misuse, such as a recently reported incident, where a corps member used Sniper to wash her hair in order to eliminate lice, an action being attributed as the cause of death, 10 days to her birthday.
NAFDAC in the statement, expressed concern at the “recent trend in the abuse and misuse of 100ml Sniper insecticide and other brands of Agricultural formulations of Dichlorvos to commit suicide.”
Exercising its mandate, which among other things includes manufacture and sales of chemicals in Nigeria, the agency announced an immediate ban on hawking of all agrochemical formulations (the likes of Sniper). NAFDAC has also given a two-month (up to 31st August 2019) notice to brand owners/distributors to recall and withdraw their products from open markets and supermarkets that do not have garden corner/shelves to the agro dealer outlets.
The sales of Sniper insecticide and other Dichlorvos brands in open markets and supermarkets nationwide are prohibited with effect from 1st September 2019, according to the directive by NAFDAC.
Further to this, a six-month moratorium up to 1st January 2020 has been given for brand owners to exhaust the products that are in various accredited agro-input dealers (distributors/marketers/retailers) outlets.
The statement also notes that all NAFDAC formations are to commence enforcement on restriction of sales of crop protection products to NAFDAC listed and accredited agro-inputs dealers/distributors/marketers nationwide by 1ST April 2020.
