THE Alliance for Action Against Pesticide in Nigeria (AAPN) says Nigeria loses about 363 million dollars annually following the European Union’s ban on beans exports, caused by hazardous pesticide residues.
The group made the disclosure at a news conference yesterday in Abuja, tagged “Stop the Spread of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs)”.
Co-Founder of AAPN, Prof. Simon Irtwange, said over 76 per cent of Nigeria’s agricultural exports are routinely rejected by the EU for safety reasons.
He explained that the rejections are mostly due to pesticide residues from chemicals banned internationally but still permitted in Nigeria. He said the rejection had, in the last decade, affected not only beans but also sesame seeds, melon seeds, dried fish, peanut chips, groundnut, palm oil and yam.
According to him, the trade restrictions result in massive financial losses and harm the country’s global reputation.
Citing available data, Irtwange said Nigeria uses about 23,400 metric tonnes of pesticides annually across agriculture and other sectors.
He noted that as of 2017, Nigerian farmers and agro-based companies were spending an estimated 400 million dollars each year on pesticides, based on statistics from the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute.
“Currently, Nigeria registers and allows over 400 pesticide formulations, over 50 per cent of which are considered highly hazardous and banned in the EU, US, and parts of Asia,” he said.
Irtwange stressed that more than 80 per cent of pesticides distributed to smallholder farmers in Nigeria have been banned or phased out internationally, mostly due to health and safety concerns.
He identified frequent health problems associated with these chemicals to include respiratory issues, skin rashes, nausea, vomiting and eye irritation.
Chronic exposure, he warned, may lead to reproductive disorders, cancers, and neurotoxicity.
Irtwange urged lawmakers, agricultural ministries, and philanthropic organisations to promote safer alternatives, such as bio-pesticides, organic fertilisers, and agroecological practices.
He recommended that such alternatives be integrated into constituency projects, input support schemes, extension services and budget lines, especially to benefit smallholder farmers.
“The National Assembly should enact a pesticide and agroecological control bill focused on protecting the health and environment of Nigerians,” he said.
“The bill should promote full disclosure, transparency, public participation, and strong oversight”.
Also speaking, Mrs Oreoluwa Adelakun, Legal Lead at AAPN, called on legislators and regulatory agencies to halt the circulation of highly hazardous pesticides in Nigeria.
She decried the continued distribution of toxic agrochemicals through constituency projects, stressing that most farmers and communities remain unaware of the long-term risks.
“These pesticides are polluting our water bodies, degrading soil quality, and endangering the health of farmers, pregnant women, children, and consumers,” she said.
