Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has raised the alarm over the widespread use of potentially harmful chemicals to ripen and preserve fruits and vegetables across Nigeria, cautioning that produce which looks fresh and natural may still be unsafe for consumption.
Speaking at the Open Day for Gardeners’ Seminar themed “Leaving the Earth Better Than We Found It” in Lagos on August 28, Osinbajo shared a personal incident involving his wife, Dolapo. After switching from carbonated drinks to freshly squeezed orange juice for health reasons, she began suffering unusual and persistent headaches. Once other possible causes were ruled out, a laboratory analysis of the juice returned a stark verdict: it was “not fit for human consumption.”
A video of the former vice-president’s remarks was posted on his YouTube channel on Wednesday.
Osinbajo said the episode exposed the risks consumers face from chemicals introduced at various points in the food supply chain. He noted that some farmers apply dangerous pesticides, while certain traders use substances to force rapid ripening or extend shelf life.
He specifically named calcium carbide as a chemical allegedly employed to accelerate the ripening and colour change of bananas, mangoes, pawpaws and tomatoes. Citing recent studies, he said a 2024 survey of 20 fruit sellers in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, found that half admitted using calcium carbide. In Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, 25 per cent of sellers surveyed made the same admission. A 2023 survey of 50 fruit and vegetable retailers in Lagos revealed that 22 used chemicals to preserve their stock.
Beyond calcium carbide, Osinbajo listed other substances traders reportedly employ, including Gamma-lin-20, Sniper, phosphide (a highly toxic fumigant), DDT and brodifacoum (a rat poison). He stressed that these chemicals are not intended for food and pose serious health threats.
“The fact that fruit looks fresh doesn’t mean that it is safe. And the fact that a drink is natural doesn’t mean that something dangerous has not been added to it along the way, especially along the journey from the farm to the table,” he said.
Osinbajo called for stronger regulation and enforcement by government agencies, increased public education, and the provision of safer alternatives for pest control, ripening and preservation. He also urged consumers to remain vigilant—questioning the source of their food, washing produce thoroughly and reporting suspicious practices.
“Government regulation needs to be enforced, but in a country this size, we have to be active ourselves,” he added, encouraging citizens to push for change in their communities.
The former vice-president’s intervention has renewed focus on food safety standards in Nigeria and the urgent need for effective monitoring of chemicals used from farm through market to table.