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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is gravely concerned about the recent trend in the abuse and misuse of 100ml of Sniper insecticide and other brands of Agricultural formulations of Dichlorvos to commit suicide. The other brands of the agricultural formulations of 100 ml pack size of dichlovos include: (Tankill, Gladiator Liquid, Executor Liquid, Smash Super Liquid, DD Force, Glovan, Philopest, Wonder Liquid, Rid-Off, NOPEST and SUMODDVP). These products 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.

Sniper and other brands of Dichlorvos formulations are agricultural insecticides, registered for use as Crop Protection Product (CPP) only. The availability of these products in small retail pack sizes of 100ml and their sales in open-markets and supermarkets have made the product readily available for abuse and misuse as a household insect repellant, as an agent to control insect infestation in agricultural food and a tool for suicide in the Country.

NAFDAC Act Cap N1 LFN 2004 has mandated the Agency to regulate and control the importation, exportation, distribution, manufacture, advertisement, sales and use of drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water and chemicals, which includes Agrochemicals. In view of this, the Agency wishes to draw the attention of the general public to the regulatory measures and control put in place to arrest/mitigate this abuse and misuse of Sniper and other brands of Dichlorvos formulations meant for agricultural use as follows:

NAFDAC bans the importation and manufacture of 100ml pack size of Agricultural formulations of Dichlorvos with immediate effect.
NAFDAC bans with immediate effect hawking of all agrochemical formulations
NAFDAC is giving 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.
NAFDAC is giving a six-month moratorium up to 1st January 2020 for brand owners to exhaust the products that are in various accredited agro-input dealers (distributors/marketers/retailers) outlets.
Mandatory listing of Dealers (distributors/marketers/retailers) of agrochemicals. All NAFDAC formations are to collect the list to ensure continual monitoring of all agro dealers in their States.
The Agency has introduced permit to clear all bulk pesticides and agrochemicals. Importers/Manufacturers/marketers are advised to liaise with Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products Directorate or closest NAFDAC offices or visit the Agency website at https//www.nafdac.gov.ng for more information and guidance.
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.
NAFDAC advises the General Public to desist from the misuse of agricultural formulations of Dichlorvos as household insecticides, as such malpractice is associated with public health hazards.
The General public may wish to note that CropLife Nigeria in collaboration with NAFDAC has agreed to undertake the following: –
i. Mop-up of 100ml agrochemical formulation of Dichlorvos from open markets and supermarkets by importers, manufacturers and distributors and to be monitored by NAFDAC nationwide from 1st September 2019.
ii. intensify the continual evidence-based sensitization workshop on proper use and handling of pesticides and agrochemicals across the country.
iii. Provide antidotes against Dichlorvos poisoning in tertiary and secondary medical centers across Nigeria.
iiii. The reformulation of all Dichlorvos preparation to include bitter agent and vomiting induce agent.
v. Training process of all agro dealers will commence from 1st September 2019
vi. Improved labeling, sealing and packaging to include amongst others the use of color band to differentiate World Health Organization (WHO) toxicity classification on all agrochemical and removal of pictorials of household pests from labels of agrochemicals/crop production products.
May I at this point call on all good citizens of our dear country to always adhere to all regulatory measures when handling or using NAFDAC regulated products. It is important to read carefully the label on the regulated products before using. The Agency is committed to safeguarding the health of Nigerians. The Agency seeks the cooperation of Nigerians in achieving the mandate of Safeguarding the health of the Nation.

National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Taraba state office says the association of Agro-Input dealers has handed over to it fake and substandard agro inputs worth millions of Naira.

The information is contained in a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Mr Abubakar Jimoh, and made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Jimoh stated that the gesture was part of the move to ensure that all distributors, marketers and retailers of agro input in the state got “listed” with the agency to avoid illegal marketers.

It added that it was also geared  toward avoiding  distribution of substandard and falsified agro input in the state and also to flush out inappropriate use of agrochemicals such as spraying directly on grains and other food substances for preservation.

“The association, in yielding to the request and encouragement of the agency, has handed over fake, substandard and falsified agro inputs, mostly chemicals, worth millions of Naira to members of staff of NAFDAC Taraba State office.

“The event which took place at the secretariat of the union on June 26, saw the secretary of the union, Mr Kwafa Manas, and it chairman, Alhaji Saidu Mohammed, giving out some facts and methods on ways to easily identify falsified agrochemicals,’’ he said.

According to him, among the falsified products handed over are: Glyphosate 522L, Paraquate 131L, 24D 70L, Atrazin Liquid 31L, Butachlor Liquid 33L, Selective for Rice 12L, Atrazin Powder 139 Sachets and Butachlor Powder 411 Sachets.

Others were Insecticides 32L, Selective for Maize 16L, Liquid Fertilizer 42L, Seed Dress 108 Sachets, Maize Seed 5 Sachets respectively.

He  said  the Taraba  coordinator of NAFDAC in the company of other members of staff of the agency thanked the union and encouraged them not to relent in their support to the agency as the benefit was mutual both for the agency and for genuine dealers.

According to him,, the state coordinator frowned at the situation where only 10 per cent of genuine agro input dealers in the state were accredited through mandatory ‘listing’ of all agro inputs dealers.

The coordinator  noted that low accreditation of genuine members had  made regulation of agro inputs marketers very difficult and appealed to  union leaders to extend their collaboration with NAFDAC to get their members listed as soon as possible. (NAN)

By, Biola Lawal

Management of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) alerted Nigerians of unscrupulous business men selling chemical-treated industrial animal hides and skin for consumption as Ponmo.

Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye said in an alert statement to the public and made available to Flowerbudnews that consumption of animal skins pretreated with toxic industrial chemicals were  injurious to human health.

Prof.  Adeyeye said that the “Health hazards inherent in the consumption of such animal hides include risk of Liver, Kidney and Heart damage, increased risk of Aplastic anaemia, Central nervous system toxicity, Cancer, etc”.

She disclosed that “as far back as 2015, following intelligence reports, the Agency, through Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, had been successfully dealing with isolated cases of dangerous diversion of animal hides meant for industrial use into the food chain for consumption aslocal delicacy PONMO. This practice poses grave danger to public health.“

The Full Statement:

The Management of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) wishes to use this medium to ALERT the general public and in particular consumers of animal hides popularly known as PONMO in local parlance on the activities of some unscrupulous business men and traders who are selling industrial animal hides as food article.

As far back as 2015, following intelligence reports, the Agency, through Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, had been successfully dealing with isolated cases of dangerous diversion of animal hides meant for industrial use into the food chain for consumption aslocal delicacy PONMO.This practice poses grave danger to public health.

Investigations revealed that some of the companies legally imported hides from countries such as Lebanon and Turkey, while majority of the product was smuggled into the country through the porous borders.

Theseimported animal hides aremeant for industrial use by leather industries for the manufacture of items such as shoes, bag, belt etc. The hides, therefore,are pretreated with industrial chemicals which are not of food grade and will be toxic and injurious to human health. Health hazards inherent in the consumption of such animal hides include risk of Liver, Kidney and Heart damage, increased risk of Aplastic anaemia, Central nervous system toxicity, Cancer, etc.

Live stock farmers are also to note that industrial animal hides can also not be used to manufacture animal feed, as the associated chemicals will be stored in the tissues of these animals and will eventually end up in humans when consumed with the attendant deleterious effects listed above.

The general public is hereby encouraged to be very vigilant and exercise discretion when purchasing animal hides PONMO and indeed other food items.

NAFDAC is fully alive to her responsibilities of assuring the safety, wholesomeness and quality of processed foods offered for sale to the public. In this regard, the Agency, has increased the tempo of targeted and aggressive routine (unannounced) inspections to monitor activities of animal hide merchants to ensure that only food grade animal hide (PONMO) is sold as food article in our markets.     (Flowerbudnews)

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reiterated its determination to control and monitor food and food items in the country.

The agency’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr Abubakar Jimoh,  said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that the agency remained committed to food monitoring, while ensuring that all food items contained the right minerals and  fortified with vitamin A.

Jimoh listed food items containing vitamin A to include beverages, margarine, flour, sugar and salt iodisation, stressing that local salt mined in states such as Ebonyi, Taraba, Benue and Nasarawa now contained iodine.

He said this was as a result of the intervention of the agency, noting that prior to now, salt mined in those states had no iodine.

According to him, NAFDAC does not only monitor counterfeit drugs, but dedicated to controlling contaminated foods too.

He said that the fight against counterfeit drugs often generated much publicity, stressing that was why people came with the notion that the agency was concentrating more on drugs than food.

Jimoh said that the agency had also embarked on aggressive campaign on hygienic water, particularly packaged water, classified under food.

He noted that “in the past, we talk of water borne diseases, but nobody is talking about cholera epidemic now because of effective regulation of packaged water by NAFDAC.

“These are proactive and preventive work that NAFDAC is doing to safeguard public health.

“When NAFDAC seizes contaminated food, it does not make news like drug.

“We have the Directorate of Food and applled Nutrition Department, which is doing a whole lot of work.”

The director said that in setting standards for food, the agency work closely with appropriate authorities to promote the export of the country’s agriculture products to have value addition. (NAN)

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Bauchi State office, during surveillance activities conducted within Bauchi metropolis sanctioned Agrochemicals marketer for selling expired Agrochemicals and those found to be unregistered.

Also within the Week, at Azare, Katagum LGA; some Patent medicine stores operators were sanctioned for selling Unregistered drugs.

Artificially ripened fruits where Calcium carbide is used is inimical not only to sound and good health, but also dangerous to the consumer by rendering the fruits poisonous due to the hazardous nature of acetylene gas, phosphorus and arsenic that forms when calcium carbide reacts with water.

Sequel to the ripening of fruits and vegetables saga, NAFDAC Borno State, like all other States immediately swung into action by intensifying surveillances, roundtable discussions, enlightenment campaigns with focus on sensitizing all relevant stakeholders on the dangers and ill-effect of possible use of calcium carbide to ripen banana and other fruits and vegetables.

According to the State Coordinator, Mr. Nasiru Mato, this move becomes necessary amidst public speculations and rumors; thus, the need for a well-coordinated and collaborative effort to deal with the situation.

In a move to revert and stop the negative trend of unacceptable destructive artificial possible method of ripening fruits, exclusive intelligence gathering per excellence has boosted the efforts of NAFDAC Borno State Office to unravel a warehouse facility meant for artificial ripening of banana.

NAFDAC alongside personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS) conducted the exercise recently in Maiduguri as part of collaborative efforts to address health concerns. Meanwhile, samples have been drawn for investigative analysis.

According to Mr. Mato, so far concurrently, NAFDAC Borno State Office is relentlessly looking at the issue with greater emphasis on evidence-based and multifaceted approaches and intelligence gathering to get to the root, hence the involvement of all critical stakeholders to mitigate the problem and in assisting to take further necessary regulatory actions.

(FLOWERBUDNEWS) In our effort to ensure the availability of all right quality and safe products in Bauchi  state, Nafdac undertook unscheduled surveillance visit to supermarkets, markets and corner shops in the metropolis to ascertain the quality and safety of the regulated products sold in the state.

It was during the surveillance visit that one of the supermarket, Jifatu Stores located at Adamu Jumba Road was found selling items with labeling violations such as no batch coding or date markings while others were already expired.

The items include biscuits, spaghetti, macaroni, custard, flour, spices, milk, vegetable oil and mouth wash.

The violating products were mopped up and the owner sanctioned for selling unwholesome products.

The general public is therefore advised to look out for adequately labeled products i.e. they should look for the Brand name, Company’s name and address, Batch coding, Production and Expiry/ Best before dates before making their purchase from super markets to avoid consumption of any fake/ counterfeit, unwholesome and expired product, they should inform NAFDAC office on products that have any form of lapses as mentioned above.

The owners of departmental stores, corner shops and other selling points are therefore warned to desist from selling unwholesome products or face the wrath of the law.

NAFDAC will not relent in its efforts to monitor all regulated products produced or sold in the state to ensure they meet up with required standard

(FLOWERBUDNEWS)