News

‘Sniper Causes Cancer, Deaths’, NAFDAC Warns Against Use For Food Preservation

Published

1 year ago

June 2, 2024

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has once again warned Nigerians about the hazardous practice of using dangerous chemicals to preserve food items.

Specifically, the agency has banned and emphasized the dangers associated with dichlorvos, a chemical commonly utilised by traders to safeguard food from spoilage.

In a statement signed by Resident Media Consultant to NAFDAC, Sayo Akintola on Sunday, the agency showed concerns over the recent viral video showing individuals using dangerous chemicals to preserve food items like beans, stockfish, and crayfish.

“The sale of small volume dichlorvos (100 ml or less), sold as Sniper® has been banned since 2019 while the sale of the large volume (one litre) is limited to certified agrochemicals outlets. NAFDAC underscores the toxicity of dichlorvos to human health, cautioning that its use can have fatal consequences.”

The Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, urged traders and merchants to desist from using unauthorized chemicals on food meant for human consumption.

She said: “The misuse of dichlorvos poses significant risks to human health, manifesting in both short-term and long-term consequences. Long-term exposure can result in severe health implications, including developmental abnormalities in offspring, memory loss, reduced fertility, and potential carcinogenic effects.

“These adverse effects highlight the importance of adhering to safety guidelines to mitigate the risks associated with dichlorvos exposure.”

Similarly, the Director of Veterinary Medicine and Applied Products (VMAP), Dr Rametu Momodu, reiterated that using certain chemicals, especially pesticides, to protect grains and prevent beans from having weevils is not approved.

She explained that there are approved pesticides for use as fumigants, which should be used according to the manufacturer’s specifications on the product label.

She stressed that these products should not be applied directly to food due to their inherent dangers to human health.

Momodu further elaborated that consuming food contaminated with dichlorvos can cause dizziness, vomiting, difficulty breathing, tremors, and convulsions, and in some cases, can lead to coma and death.

She warned that once used, pesticide residues remain on or in the food, posing significant health risks. Washing the food does not mitigate the risk, as the harmful substance would have already soaked into it.

She emphasised that the Agency cannot recommend washing as a solution, as it gives a false sense of security.

“Instead, she urged grain merchants, market vendors, and farmers to adhere strictly to manufacturer guidelines and refrain from directly applying dichlorvos to beans and other foodstuffs. It should be used as intended, either as a field crop treatment or a fumigant, to ensure food safety”, she said.

Momodu also advised consumers to avoid buying from vendors known to use such practices and to report them to the nearest NAFDAC office for appropriate sanctions.

NAFDAC DG, Adeyeye further emphasized alternative methods for preserving food, mentioning the use of bio-pesticides as a safer option than dichlorvos.

She noted that food remaining unspoiled for an extended period might indicate pesticide contamination rather than freshness unless stored in the refrigerator.

In addition to the banning of the 100 ml size bottle, the NAFDAC DG said the agency has implemented several initiatives such as stakeholders’ sensitization meetings on restricting the direct application of dichlorvos on grains and foodstuffs and thorough laboratory testing to ensure pesticide residues do not exceed maximum limits for both in-country consumption and for exports.

She said, “Routine monitoring of stakeholders is also conducted to ensure compliance.”

Adeyeye continued NAFDAC’s commitment to global best practices, including the phase-out of certain pesticides that have been banned in other countries due to proven toxicity.

She also acknowledged the challenges faced by farmers due to bans on various chemicals and emphasized the importance of transitioning to safer alternatives.

Addressing misconceptions about banned chemicals being dumped in Nigeria, she clarified that comprehensive lists have been provided to the media to dispel such notions.

News

Foundation Holds School Debate In Benin To Address Negative Narrative About Education

Published

5 hours ago

November 19, 2025

Editor

Osahon Enabulele Foundation, (DOEF), has given reason for organising interschool secondary schools debate in Edo State, saying it was “conceived to tackle the negative narrative surrounding the value of education among the younger generation.”

The Director—General of the foundation, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, stated this at the grand finale of the maiden edition of the debate held in Benin on Wednesday.

The competition, titled: “If education is a scam or not” was informed by the social-economic reality with students demonstrating impressive intellectual competition and depth.

Enabulele stressed that the debate was aimed at promoting intellectual development, encouraging civic engagement and public speaking, and fostering leadership qualities and critical thinking.

He added that the foundation, established nine months ago, was driven by strategic pillars that include leadership and governance, health, education, policy advocacy and social philanthropy.

According to him, many young people are becoming disillusioned by society’s “defective role modelling” and the “unfortunate reward for individuals with questionable sources of wealth,”

He said, “The debate is totally driven by the Foundation as a deliberate interventionist initiative that seeks to reverse the worrisome negative narrative about education, particularly amongst our upcoming generations, including our youths who are increasingly becoming victims of our society’s defective role modelling and unfortunate reward for individuals with very questionable sources of wealth, with leadership and societal positions. Our younger ones are truly becoming disillusioned as a result of these inanities.

“Some no longer think it is worthwhile to acquire education or task their brains in any way. This debate initiative is therefore our Foundation’s committed efforts to contribute to the reversal of this worrisome trend and mindset affliction.”

The interschool debate saw Eghosa Grammar School clinching the N1m star prize while other winners were also presented with a certificate of participation, books and other sundry items.

The outstanding speakers during the debate also went home with cash prizes ranging from N100,000 to N200, 000.

News

Trump’s Military Threat: ‘Poor Man Is Already A Sinner’ – Shehu Sani

Published

7 hours ago

November 19, 2025

Editor

Former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has criticised United States President Donald Trump’s approach to global relations, alleging a double standard in the way he engages with different regions of the world.

In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Sani said Trump had secured a trillion-dollar deal from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and consistently defended the kingdom, while raising issues of human rights, terrorism and religious persecution only when dealing with African leaders.

According to him, no African, European or Latin American nation could offer Trump the kind of financial leverage that oil-rich Arab states provide.

Sani’s remarks come amid Trump’s recent threat of military action in Nigeria over allegations of Christian genocide.

The former lawmaker argued that in a materially driven world, “a poor man is already a sinner,” suggesting that economic power continues to shape international attitudes and interventions.

He wrote: “Mr Trump got a deal of a trillion dollar from Bin Salman and defended everything about Saudi Arabia. No African, European or Latin American country can give him that.

“When they are talking with oil rich Arab countries, issues of human rights, executions, terrorism and religion doesn’t come up, until they meet with African leaders and start asking them where they learned ‘how to speak English’. In a material World, a poor man is already a sinner.”

News

Why Nigerians Are Not Feeling Inflation Drop – Economists

Published

7 hours ago

November 19, 2025

Editor

Despite Nigeria recording its seventh consecutive month of disinflation, economists and financial analysts have raised concerns that the easing inflation trend has brought little or no relief to Nigerians and households already overwhelmed by high living costs and economic hardship.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that headline inflation slowed to 16.05 per cent in October 2025, down from 18.02 per cent in September, one of the strongest single-month declines this year.

Food inflation also moderated to 13.12 per cent, compared to 16.9 per cent in the previous month.

But economists and analysts insist the improved figures do not reflect the economic reality facing millions of Nigerians.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr Muda Yusuf, said the gains from the latest figures have not translated into real cost-of-living relief because price pressures remain elevated across essential sectors.

“Inflationary pressures remain elevated in critical household sectors—including food, transportation, housing, utilities, education, and health—which jointly account for 84 percent of inflation,” Yusuf noted.

He attributed the limited impact of disinflation to persistent structural challenges such as high logistics costs, energy constraints, insecurity in food-producing regions and climate-related disruptions that continue to suppress supply.

According to him, “the full welfare benefits are yet to be sufficiently felt by households due to persistent structural constraints.”

Yusuf advised that deeper and sustained reforms across key sectors—supported by coordinated monetary, fiscal and structural policies—are necessary to turn statistical improvements into real economic progress.

‘NBS Inflation Figures Are Flawed’ — Former CIBN President, Okechukwu

In an interview with DAILY POST, Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, former President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), said the October inflation report is detached from the real-life experience of Nigerians.

Unegbu insisted the country’s true inflation rate is significantly higher than official figures suggest.

“The inflation figure by the National Bureau of Statistics is flawed because it does not reflect reality. In real terms, the country’s inflation is as high as 29 percent,” he said.

He argued that the persistent rise in the cost of food, rent, transportation, fuel, and other essentials shows that the declining inflation rate “does not make sense” to the average Nigerian.

Why Nigerians Still Feel No Relief — Oyedokun

An economist and a university don, Prof Godwin Oyedokun, said most Nigerians feel no impact from the inflation slowdown because the structural drivers of the cost-of-living crisis remain intact.

He outlined six reasons why Nigerians are yet to feel the impact of inflation: “Prices are still rising— just more slowly- A drop in inflation does not mean prices are falling. Nigerians are still paying historically high amounts for food, transport, energy and rent.

“Incomes remain stagnant- Wages, pensions and SME earnings have failed to keep up with inflation for two years, weakening purchasing power.

“Key cost drivers remain unresolved- Exchange-rate volatility, high energy costs, logistics inefficiencies, insecurity in food belts and elevated interest rates continue to fuel price increases.

Inflation expectations are still high- Businesses expect prices to rise further and therefore adjust prices upward in advance.

“State-to-state variations distort relief- Some states still record much higher food and transportation inflation than the national average.

“Poverty levels overshadow economic data- With high unemployment and widespread poverty, even a slowdown in inflation does little to improve household welfare.”

Prof. Oyedokun concluded that “Nigerians have yet to feel any relief because the level of prices— not just the rate of change— remains painfully high, and the structural conditions driving hardship persist.”