“Nigerians Are Ignorant, We Don’t Read or Understand” – NAFDAC DG

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has described Nigerians as largely ignorant about food safety and the proper use of regulated products, while explaining the agency’s role in protecting consumers.

Speaking during an interview on Monday, the NAFDAC DG said many Nigerians do not read or understand instructions on products, particularly pesticides, which can lead to their improper use.

“First of all, we are ignorant in this country. We don’t read, we don’t understand,” she said.

She explained that food safety involves several agencies from the farm to the point of consumption, noting that NAFDAC’s mandate primarily covers processed and semi-processed foods, while the Ministry of Agriculture has the primary responsibility for fresh produce.

According to her, NAFDAC does not regulate fresh fruits such as oranges sold directly in markets. However, the agency has responsibilities concerning pesticides used on crops because it approves and regulates such products.

She said farmers need to be properly trained on the correct application of pesticides and the appropriate waiting period before harvesting.

The NAFDAC DG also attributed some problems to the inability of consumers and farmers to understand instructions on product labels, noting that some people assume that using more of a product will produce better results.

She said NAFDAC collaborates with the Ministry of Agriculture to educate farmers and other stakeholders on the proper use of pesticides, but acknowledged that the agency cannot reach all the millions of farmers across the country.

“We cannot go to one million farmers in Nigeria. I don’t know how many millions we have,” she said, stressing that the Ministry of Agriculture has a primary responsibility to educate farmers on fresh produce.

The NAFDAC DG also noted that many Nigerians are unaware of the agencies responsible for regulating different categories of food and agricultural products, highlighting the need for greater public education.