By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – The Alliance for Action on Pesticides in Nigeria (AAPN) has warned that Nigerians are being “slowly and daily killed” by highly hazardous pesticides used on food crops, urging an immediate ban to protect farmers and consumers.

At a press briefing in Abuja, AAPN Co-founder Prof. Simon Irtwange and Lead Legal Oreoluwa Adelakun said over 65% of active ingredients in pesticides used in Nigeria are classified as highly hazardous, with many banned abroad for health and environmental risks.

They noted Nigeria loses $362.5 million yearly due to the EU ban on its beans exports over high pesticide residues, with over 76% of agricultural exports routinely rejected on safety grounds.

AAPN cited severe health effects—ranging from respiratory problems and cancers to reproductive disorders—and recalled over 270 deaths in Benue State in 2020 from pesticide-contaminated water. The group also linked pesticides to soil degradation, water pollution, and ecosystem disruption.

Nigeria uses about 23,400 metric tons of pesticides yearly, worth $400 million, with more than half classified as highly hazardous. Many are banned in the EU and US but remain legal in Nigeria, the group said.

Lead Coordinator Donald Ofoegbu urged NAFDAC to publish a list of banned pesticides and halt online sales, calling for stricter controls, agroecological farming, and the use of protective gear by farmers.

He warned that unsafe inputs undermine food security, stressing the need for political will, strong regulation, and a shift to sustainable agricultural practices.