The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, has clarified that the agency does not regulate fresh produce, including oranges sold directly in markets.
Adeyeye made this known during a recent interview while explaining NAFDAC’s regulatory mandate and its responsibilities in the food and drug sector.
According to her, the Ministry of Agriculture has primary responsibility for regulating fresh agricultural produce, while NAFDAC focuses mainly on processed and semi-processed food products.
“NAFDAC’s mandate is for processed or semi-processed foods. The oranges you buy in the market, we don’t control the oranges you buy in the market,” she said.
However, Adeyeye explained that NAFDAC has a role in regulating pesticides used on crops and educating farmers on their proper application.
She warned that some farmers misuse pesticides by applying quantities above recommended levels, a practice that could expose consumers to health risks.
The NAFDAC boss attributed the misuse partly to low literacy levels among some farmers, noting that some may mistakenly believe that applying more pesticides would produce better results.
She said NAFDAC’s Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate regularly engages farmers and other stakeholders to educate them on the proper use of pesticides, including compliance with instructions on product labels and observing the required waiting period before harvesting.
Adeyeye, however, acknowledged that NAFDAC could not reach every farmer across the country because of the large number of agricultural producers.
“We cannot go to one million farmers in Nigeria. I don’t know how many millions we have. NAFDAC cannot do that. It is the Ministry of Agriculture that should be doing that,” she said.
She further clarified that NAFDAC regulates processed food products, including foods derived from yam.
“Yam is NAFDAC, fufu you eat is NAFDAC,” Adeyeye added.
The clarification comes amid public discussions about the respective responsibilities of regulatory agencies in ensuring the safety of agricultural produce and processed food products in Nigeria.
