Nigerians’ health at risk from pesticides used by farmers

The use of hazardous pesticides and agrochemicals by farmers and traders to protect crops, control weeds, and store food products is silently poisoning Nigerians and causing havoc to their health and the environment, experts say.

Some of the highly hazardous pesticides include: Atrazine, Butachlor, Dichlorovos, Carbendazim, Cypermethrin, Dimethoate, Diuron, Endosulfan, Glyphosate, and Imidacloprid. Others are Carbofuran, Chlorpyrifos, Paraquat, Mancozeb, and Permethrin among others.

These hazardous pesticides, often banned in other countries, are still widely traded in Nigeria despite their devastating impacts on human health.

According to data from the Alliance for Action on Pesticides in Nigeria (AAPN), 17 of these highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) banned in other countries are found in the hands of Nigerian farmers.

Although the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has banned six of the 17 HHPs, they are still in use in the country and can be found in local markets.

Most of these pesticides, when accumulated in human bodies, cause endocrine and nervous system disruption, carcinogenic, developmental and neurological damage, among others, experts say.

“When pesticides are used beyond the maximum limits on food products, it becomes dangerous to human health,” said Joseph Akinneye, a professor at the Department of Biology at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State.

“Farmers and traders in the country often use these chemicals at high levels, and the accumulation of them in the body causes cancer, difficulty in breathing and hormonal imbalance among other illnesses,” Akinneye said.

“This is wrong and must stop to save lives,” he said, while calling for farmers and traders’ education on pesticide use and application. He noted that limited knowledge of the dangers of highly hazardous agrochemicals is fuelling increased use.

He explained that in most countries, there are regulations and penalties for exceeding the maximum limits on the use of agrochemicals, noting that the Nigerian Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is responsible for this in the country.

He added that the agency has failed to effectively regulate these hazardous chemicals, as some that are banned in the country are still found in open markets.

Pesticide imports into Africa have increased significantly in recent years. In West Africa, imports nearly doubled in five years, rising from 218,948 tonnes in 2015 to 437,930 tonnes in 2020. Of this total in 2020, Nigeria accounted for 33.67 percent, according to data from the Alliance for Action on Pesticides in Nigeria (AAPN).

In 2021, almost two-thirds (about 66 percent) of agrochemicals found in Nigeria were categorised as highly hazardous, according to a Pesticide Atlas report.

The report also found elevated levels of residues were detected in tomato samples from Nigeria, including traces of permethrin, a chemical the US Environmental Protection Agency classified as probably carcinogenic.

Beans from Nigeria showed high levels of contamination as samples contained up to 0.3 milligrammes per kilogramme of dichlorvos. The legal limit in Europe is 0.01 milligrammes per kilogramme.

Patrick Ijewere, medical director at The Nutrition Hospital, said most of the agrochemicals used by Nigerian farmers contain active ingredients that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Agency for Research on Cancer, among others, have categorised as highly hazardous due to their toxic effect on humans and the environment.

He noted that the use of highly hazardous agrochemicals is dangerous to human health when consumed over a long period. “The side effects are responsible for the rising cases of cancer we have now in the country because Nigerians consume these food products daily,” Ijewere said.

Fuelling export rejection

The high use of agrochemicals by farmers has continued to drive rejection of Nigerian food exported to the European Union (EU), the U.S. and others.

The European Union (EU) had in 2016 rejected 24 food products from Nigeria. Groundnuts were rejected because they contained aflatoxin, while palm oil had a colouring agent that was carcinogenic.

The European Food Safety Authority had likewise rejected beans from Nigeria in 2015 because they contained between 0.03mg per kg and 4.6mg/kg of dichlorvos pesticide, when the acceptable maximum residue limit was 0.01mg/kg.

The ban is still in place, indicating that Nigerian food processors and exporters are yet to change from such practice.

“The high use of hazardous pesticides is why our food products are still banned in Europe and other countries,” Ijewere said.

Organic pesticides provide alternative

Experts have urged governments at all levels to prioritise investments in organic and agroecological farming as sustainable alternatives to conventional agriculture.

Jude Obi, a professor and president of the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), stressed the need for awareness and advocacy for organic agriculture while de-emphasising conventional practices that rely heavily on agrochemical application.

Obi noted that countries are shifting to using more organic pesticides and less agrochemicals in food production owing to its health and environmental benefits.

By Josephine Okojie-Okeiyi, Business Day

Nigeria’s escalating insecurity and looming hunger catastrophe

The latest alert by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), warning that 35 million Nigerians could fall into severe hunger during the 2026 lean season, is not a distant forecast. It reflects a brutal reality already unfolding across the country. Events in the past few weeks alone have laid bare the fragility of Nigeria’s food security and validated the concerns long expressed by humanitarian agencies, local communities, and agricultural experts. The warning is both a wake-up call and a damning verdict on the government’s response to the intersecting crises of insecurity, climate change, and economic hardship.

 
For years, successive administrations have repeatedly emphasised food security as a national priority. Yet, the lived experiences of farmers, traders, and rural communities reveal a stark contradiction. While the government launches yet another initiative, programme, or roadmap, farmers, the bedrock of the nation’s food supply, are being chased from their lands, killed, kidnapped for ransom, or forced to seek refuge in overcrowded camps. In some regions, they are compelled to pay “protection levies” to terrorists just to access their own farmlands. Farming, once a proud and rewarding livelihood, is now synonymous with fear, uncertainty, and death.

A nation where food producers must negotiate access to their fields with armed groups cannot claim to be mindful of food security. No matter the agricultural policies announced in Abuja, the reality in rural Nigeria remains that insecurity has become the single greatest threat to food production. Until the government deploys a coordinated, decisive response to the security crisis, hope to reduce food import dependency or stabilise food prices will remain a mirage.

The WFP Country Director, David Stevenson, underscored the extent of the crisis when he reported that Northern Nigeria is experiencing the worst hunger levels in a decade. According to the latest Cadre Harmonisé analysis, nearly six million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe alone will face crisis-level hunger or worse from June to August 2026. Particularly worrying is the projection that at least 15,000 people in Borno could slip into Phase 5 catastrophic, famine-like conditions, if the current trends persist. These are not just numbers; they are human lives, families, children, and communities caught in a web of violence and vulnerability.

Children, as always, bear the heaviest burden. Malnutrition rates are highest across Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, and Zamfara, made worse by the scaling down of WFP nutrition programmes due to funding constraints. With clinics shutting down and humanitarian workers unable to safely access many communities, severe acute malnutrition has escalated from “serious” to “critical” in large parts of the North-East. Each closure of a nutrition centre translates to children losing their last lifeline.

But insecurity is not the only force driving Nigeria toward the brink of famine. Climate change has intensified the threats facing already vulnerable communities. Erratic rainfall, hotter temperatures, prolonged dry spells, and devastating floods have disrupted traditional farming cycles. Rivers, lakes, and streams that once supported farming and herding are disappearing or drying earlier than expected. The shrinking of waters across Northern Nigeria has forced pastoralists to expand their search for grazing lands, worsening the already volatile herder-farmer conflicts and deepening communal tensions.

The Lake Chad Basin, historically a major source of livelihood for millions, continues to recede, leaving behind barren land, displaced people, and lost income streams. In other states, wetlands that supported rice cultivation have become dry or saline. Without water for irrigation or livestock, many farming communities are left with no option but to migrate, abandon their land, or compete violently for remaining resources. Climate change, therefore, is not a distant environmental concern: it is a direct multiplier of hunger, insecurity, and displacement.

The menace of armed herders further complicates this landscape. Farmers across the Middle Belt and southern states continue to face violent incursions into farmlands, with crops destroyed and communities attacked. In many cases, these clashes have escalated into deadly confrontations that displace entire populations and deter farming activities. The lack of a concrete national strategy to modernise livestock production or enforce land-use policies ensures that the cycle of violence continues, threatening food-producing regions far beyond the North.

The convergence of these crises, insecurity, climate change, herder-farmer conflict, and economic distress has created a perfect storm that could plunge Africa’s most populous nation into a widespread hunger emergency. The implications extend far beyond food shortages. As the WFP warns, hunger itself can fuel further instability. Insurgent groups often exploit food scarcity to recruit desperate youths, impose control over communities, and expand their influence across fragile regions.

The consequences of failing to act are dire: increasing displacement, rising food prices, mass poverty, and a growing humanitarian burden that Nigeria’s already strained institutions are ill-equipped to handle.

To avert this looming catastrophe, Nigeria must adopt bold, pragmatic, and urgent measures. What is needed now is strategic action grounded in political will, community engagement, and accountability.

First, secure food-producing regions with specialised military and civilian units. Protection of agricultural hubs should be treated as a national security priority. Nigeria must deploy dedicated agro-ranger units, rapid-response battalions, and community-supported security outfits to reclaim farmlands from insurgents, bandits, and violent herder militias. The goal is to create safe corridors for cultivation, harvesting, and distribution.

Second, dismantle terrorist taxation networks. One of the most disturbing trends is the imposition of “farming levies” by terrorists. Government intelligence agencies must identify the logistics, collaborators, and financial channels that make these extortions possible. Cutting off this revenue pipeline is critical to weakening insurgent operations.

Thirdly, climate-proof Nigeria’s agricultural system. Nigeria needs substantial investment in irrigation systems, watershed restoration, and drought-resistant crop varieties. Rehabilitating degraded lakes and river basins, especially in the North-East, will help rebuild livelihoods. Climate prediction tools, early-warning systems, and farmer training on adaptive practices should be widely deployed.

Fourth, resolve herder-farmer conflicts through policy reform, not force. Nigeria must adopt modern livestock management policies, including ranching and regulated grazing reserves, backed by enforceable land-use legislation. This will reduce the pressure on farmlands, curb clashes, and support peaceful coexistence.

Fifth, strengthen food aid coordination and humanitarian funding. With WFP warning of imminent resource depletion, Nigeria must work with international partners to mobilise financing, expand access to vulnerable areas, and protect humanitarian workers. A revitalised national food reserve system, managed professionally and shielded from political interference, is also essential.

Sixth, empower local governance and early-response systems. Local governments should be given the autonomy and resources to support community security structures, manage relief distribution, and coordinate climate and conflict early-warning mechanisms tailored to their unique realities.

The warning from the UN is not merely a statistical projection; it is a mirror reflecting the nation’s failures, vulnerabilities, and urgent priorities. A country that cannot protect its farmers cannot feed its people.

The window for action is rapidly closing. But with decisive leadership, coordinated policy reforms, and a genuine commitment to securing rural communities, the nation can still avert the worst and restore hope to millions.

The Guardian

Osimhen double for Nigeria downs Mozambique to seal AFCON quarterfinal spot

Victor Osimhen scored twice as Nigeria made short work of Mozambique at the Africa Cup of Nations, cruising into the quarterfinals with a comprehensive 4-0 victory in their last-16 tie.

Ademola Lookman, a former winner of the African footballer of the year award, like Osimhen, opened the scoring after 20 minutes in Fes on Monday and helped set up the other three goals on the night.

Osimhen had started the game without wearing his trademark mask, but restored the face covering before netting Nigeria’s second goal on 25 minutes. He then scored again just after half-time before Akor Adams sealed the win.

It is the biggest winning margin in an AFCON knockout tie since Egypt hammered Algeria 4-0 in the semifinals at the 2010 tournament in Angola.

Determined to make up for their failure to qualify for the World Cup, the Super Eagles march on to a last-eight tie on Saturday in Marrakesh against either Algeria or the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The teams clash in the last 16 on Tuesday, and a victory in the game for the DRC would offer Nigeria a chance to avenge their defeat on penalties against the Leopards in a World Cup qualifying playoff in November.

Mozambique appeared in the knockout phase of an AFCON for the first time after advancing as one of the best third-placed sides in the group stage.

They were no match for a Nigerian team that was much-changed from their final group game, when coach Eric Chelle offered a chance to several fringe players for a 3-1 victory against Uganda.

Atalanta forward Lookman, who scored in the 3-2 win over Tunisia in the second group match, was among those brought back into the lineup, and Africa’s best player in 2024 gave his team the lead as the midway point in the first half approached.

Alex Iwobi’s through ball released Adams on the left side of the box, and his cutback was converted first-time by Lookman.

The 28-year-old then turned provider, with his cross from the left in the 25th minute being helped on by Adams, for Osimhen to poke the ball in from close range.

The Galatasaray striker emerged unscathed soon after that, despite going into a challenge with Witi, which saw the Mozambique player knee Osimhen in the stomach.

Lookman’s low ball across the face of goal from the left was finished off by Osimhen to make it 3-0 in the 47th minute and end any prospect of a Mozambique comeback.

The 2023 African player of the year had gone seven AFCON matches without scoring before netting against Tunisia in the group stage. He now has three to his name at the tournament in Morocco.

Lookman was not finished for the night as he supplied Adams inside the box with a quarter of an hour remaining, and the Sevilla forward rifled a shot high into the net.

Earlier in the day, Egypt needed extra time to overcome Benin 3-1 to book their place in the next round, where either Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso await.

Al Jazeera

Video - Nigerian aviation industry reels from US travel ban

US travel restrictions are full effect for 26 African countries, including 12 full bans and 14 partial bans, with Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, among those affected. These restrictions come at a time when Africa’s aviation sector was seeing new growth. In Nigeria, however, industry operators report a decline in passenger traffic on Nigeria-US routes, as the country had already been subject to strict visa regulations.

CGTN Africa

Video - Locals in northern Nigeria warned against handling unexploded artillery

The Nigerian military has urged civilians in the country’s northwest not to keep or tamper with unexploded artillery found at sites targeted in recent US airstrikes. The warning comes after online footage showed local residents scavenging debris and unexploded ordnance at strike locations in Sokoto State, raising fears of potentially deadly explosions.

CGTN Africa