The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intensified its crackdown on illegal agrochemicals, disclosing that it confiscated banned pesticides valued at over ₦800 million across Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states during its targeted enforcement operations.
The regulatory agency warned that the continued circulation and misuse of unapproved chemicals endanger public health, jeopardize national food safety, and threaten Nigeria’s agricultural trade standing internationally.
The details were made public during a press briefing held on Friday, October 9, 2026, at the NAFDAC Corporate Headquarters in Isolo, Lagos.
Addressing journalists, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, revealed that following scientific reviews and stakeholder consultations, the agency instituted strict phase-out deadlines for highly hazardous pesticides. Ban timelines for major active ingredients were fully implemented, with Paraquat banned on January 1, 2024, Chlorpyrifos on November 1, 2024, and Atrazine on January 1, 2025.
Despite these phased bans, illegal distribution networks continued to market the products across the Southwest, prompting sweeping enforcement sweeps that yielded the multi-million naira seizures.
Seizures of banned agrochemicals across Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states totaled over ₦800 million.
Between September 2024 and July 2026, enforcement operations in the Northwest led to the interception of 2,974 cartons of banned Paraquat worth ₦148.7 million, alongside 120 cartons of Chlorpyrifos valued at ₦17 million. One suspect is currently being prosecuted.
In July 2026, NAFDAC sealed four illegal pesticide manufacturing and packaging factories operating in Bichi, Kano State.
A recent NAFDAC market study on agricultural produce, particularly beans, revealed alarming pesticide residue levels that exceeded safety limits, including misuse of Dimethoate and Pyrethroids as post-harvest preservatives.
Joining Prof. Adeyeye at the press briefing were key NAFDAC directors, including Mrs. Edwards Eva (Director, Food Safety and Applied Products), Mr. Agboola Oluwakorede (Director, Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products), Dr. Momodu Rametu (Director, Narcotics and Controlled Substances), and Mr. Babatunde Yusuf (Director, Food Laboratory Services).
Speaking on the health hazards of agricultural chemical misuse, Prof. Adeyeye strongly warned against using unauthorized chemicals on harvested food crops.
”Using unapproved chemicals or applying excessive pesticides on crops poses severe toxicity risks to consumers and damages Nigeria’s agricultural export reputation,” Adeyeye cautioned. “No individual or business gain should come at the cost of public health.”
NAFDAC disclosed that it has trained over 2,000 agro-input dealers on identifying genuine products and safe pesticide handling.
The agency urged farmers, importers, distributors, and consumers to purchase agrochemicals exclusively from licensed vendors and report illegal facilities or unsafe practices to the nearest NAFDAC office.
