Pesticides are harming Nigeria: it’s time to update the law

• This is because of their potential health effects or environmental contamination, or because there’s not enough data to be sure that they aren’t harmful.
• Nigeria’s use of such pesticides is the reason some markets, including the EU and the US, reject the country’s agricultural products.
• Yet some countries with strict regulations at home still export the banned pesticides to countries like Nigeria.

Limiting factors

• There are no provisions to hold manufacturers accountable for the negative impact of hazardous pesticides.
• No law requires people to use personal protective equipment when applying pesticides.
• For instance, the proposed bill to establish a pesticides council reserves two seats for an internationally affiliated association, CropLife Nigeria.
• Instead, the council should consist of neutral and independent organisations from the scientific and academic communities.

Why effective regulation matters

• Seventy-five percent of the women farmers in the survey reported symptoms from using pesticides.
• Without strict regulation and enforcement, farmers might misuse or overuse pesticides in farms and storerooms.
• Weak regulations also make Nigeria vulnerable to becoming a dumping ground for internationally banned and counterfeit pesticides.

What needs to be done

• They have passed laws that prohibit pesticides that are banned in the countries that make or export them.
• The legal community should engage in public interest litigation to hold manufacturing companies accountable for harm caused by pesticides.
• Ofoegbu Donald Ikenna, senior programme manager, Sustainable Nigeria programme, Heinrich Boell Stiftung (hbs) Nigeria office, contributed to this article.