THE recent resolution by the House of Representatives to investigate the alleged use of killer chemicals for preserving fruits and prolonging the shelf life of perishable foods is a welcome and long-overdue move. It speaks to the collective outrage of a nation that has watched helplessly, as profit-driven individuals poison its citizens under the guise of food preservation.
The motion preceding the resolution, as was moved by the Chairman of the House Committee on Food Security and Nutrition, Rep. Chike Okafor, sheds light on a public health crisis that has festered for years. According to Okafor, disturbing reports from regulatory bodies, health experts, and investigative journalists revealed that some unscrupulous food handlers were using chemicals meant for embalming corpses to ripen fruits and preserve fish and meat.
It is appalling that formalin, used in mortuaries, and other industrial-grade substances have found their way into the nation’s food chain. Formalin, pesticides, and other carcinogenic preservatives have been linked to devastating cases of cancer, organ failure, reproductive issues, and even developmental disorders in children. When Okafor cited the Nigerian Medical Association’s warning about rising cases of liver and kidney damage among young Nigerians, it was not mere political rhetoric.
This is not the first time Nigeria has been warned. As far back as 2019, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) raised the alarm over the use of formalin in fish and meat preservation. In 2022, a University of Ibadan study confirmed high levels of pesticide residues in frozen foods sold in Nigerian markets. Yet, the perpetrators remain unchecked, emboldened by weak enforcement and public indifference.
In the country today, hospitals are recording increasing numbers of patients with conditions traceable to prolonged exposure to toxins; conditions once rare among the young but now alarmingly common. To this end, NAFDAC cannot afford to keep playing catch-up. It is not enough to seize containers of tramadol or parade smugglers of banned drugs while the nation’s food chain is being infiltrated by backyard merchants of death.
Therefore, the agency must intensify its grassroots surveillance, work closely with local government administrations, and prosecute offenders swiftly. In addition, it should also partner with health ministries and traditional rulers to raise awareness at the community level, because many of these acts are committed in open view within markets and rural processing centres.
Beyond regulatory action, there’s a moral question to confront because we cannot justify and remain comfortable with poisoning ourselves and others for profit. The conscience of the nation is at stake. Those involved in these heinous practices are not just breaking the law; they are betraying humanity. Therefore, there is need for a special tribunal to be set up to handle cases related to toxic food preservation, ensuring that offenders are prosecuted swiftly and decisively.
Consumers also have a role to play. Nigerians must learn to question the artificial gloss of fruits and vegetables that appear too perfect. Support for locally produced and naturally preserved foods should become a collective campaign. Likewise, the media must sustain this conversation, exposing offenders, spotlighting safe practices, and educating the public on the dangers of chemical-ripened foods.
It is not enough to bring a proposal before the public and fail to act upon such. In the light of this, the House Committee on Food Security and Nutrition has a national emergency on its hands. Its ongoing investigation should not end in the familiar cul-de-sac of legislative reports gathering dust. It must deliver concrete outcomes, policy reforms, tighter surveillance, and accountability.
Nigeria cannot continue down this deadly path. It’s time for government, regulators, and citizens to draw a line in the sand and say: enough. Food should nourish, not kill. If we cannot guarantee the safety of what ends up on our tables, then we have failed the very essence of governance and humanity. The message must be clear, no to preserving foods with harmful chemicals.
