The Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria) has called on the Federal Government through the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to urgently commence monitoring and pharmacovigilance activities towards identifying the trade on chlorpyrifos and take punitive measures against anyone found wanting.
A key public health function, pharmacovigilance is the process and science of monitoring the safety of medicines and taking action to reduce the risks and increase the benefits of the medicines.
Dr. Leslie Adogame, Executive Director, SRADev, who made the call during a press briefing on the National Situation of Chlorpyrifos in Nigeria on Thursday July 11, 2024, in Lagos, described Chlorpyrifos as a dangerous Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) that is banned in many countries but still finds its way into Nigeria and registered for use in agriculture.
It is an organophosphate pesticide that has been used on crops, animals, and buildings, and in other settings to kill pests, including insects and worms. It acts on the nervous systems of insects.
According to Adogame, Chlorpyrifos is a broad-spectrum Organ Chlorine Pesticide (OCP) class of chemicals that were first developed by the Nazis for chemical warfare and later adapted for commercial pesticide use after the break-up of the Nazi chemical apparatus. He added that it is now being put to agricultural uses (food and non-food crops), veterinary uses, uses in residential settings, industrial uses and public health applications. However, the majority of uses are in commercial agricultural settings.
He said: “This pesticide exposure has both human and environmental health consequences ranging from tearing of the eyes, runny nose, increased saliva and sweat production, nausea, dizziness and headache, with signs of progression such as muscle twitching, weakness or tremors, lack of coordination, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, and pupil constriction with blurred or darkened vision.
“Signs of severe toxicity include increased heart rate, unconsciousness, loss of control of the urine or bowels, convulsions, respiratory depression, and paralysis.”
Speaking further, the Executive Director of SRADev opined: ‘There are existence of significant research findings in Nigeria, which indicate the presence of concentrations of chlorpyrifos residues in vegetables (spinach, lettuce, cabbage, tomato and onion) and aquatic biodata. This finding could be responsible for many cases of alterations in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and organ damage in humans in Nigeria.
“Acute and chronic pesticide poisoning usually results from: consumption of contaminated food, chemical accident in industries and occupational exposure in agriculture hence NAFDAC and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) should immediately commence national awareness raising activities with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) on the banned state of chlorpyrifos effective from November 1, 2024, as approved by the National Committee of Chemicals Management (NCCM) after its meeting on May 22, 2024.
“Government should also reactivate extension officers under the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) to provide information on agro-ecology/organic farming in Nigeria.”
While congratulating NESREA for gazetting the National Environmental (Hazardous Chemical and Pesticides) Regulations, 2023 earlier in the year 2024 which addresses the concerns of Highly Hazardous Pesticides among others, and NAFDAC effort in the ban of some HHPs effective 2024, Dr. Adogame however admonished them to further collaborate for enhanced agricultural sustainability towards attaining the SDG goals in Nigeria.
In his goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Minister, Federal Ministry of Environment (FMoE), noted that the FMoE is one of the key driving forces for improving pesticides and crop protection policies towards safer, socially just, environmentally sustainable and economically viable pest management system.
“FMoE is the national focal point for the BRS Conventions,” he said.
Represented by Mrs. Olabimpe Adenike, the Minister stated: “These Conventions (The Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-Boundary Movement on Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, Rotterdam Convention on the Prior-Informed Consent Procedure for certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants) exercise control on pesticides and hazardous chemicals.
“In 2002, Global Harmonised System (GHS) of classification and Labelling of Chemicals was adopted, and Nigeria was a party to it. FMoE, being the designated authority and GHS, is a functional tool for action and management of chemicals.
“Chlorpyrifos exposure during pregnancy and infancy results in neuronal defects and Parkinson’s disease. It is lipid soluble hence bio-accumulates to fatty tissue like the liver. It causes variety of nervous disorders ranging from headaches, blurred vision and salivation to seizures, coma and death depending on the amount and length of exposure. Considering the severity of the threat of Chlorpyrifos to health and environment, all stakeholders, Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and their Agencies, Nigerian Customs Service Inter-Governmental Organisations (IGOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), farmers, academia, trade unions, civil society and private sector should collaborate and timely address HHP which Chlorpyrifos is included and ensure these pesticides are progressively banned and entirely phased out,” he submitted.
In his remarks, Mr. Victor Fabunmi, SRADev Nigeria’s Senior Programme Officer, disclosed that the six-month study on “The National Situation of Chlorpyrifos in Nigeria” implemented under the auspices of the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) is one of the activities in espousing the Nation Situation of Chlorpyrifos, its imports, use and impact in Nigeria.
“The study carried out between June and November 2022 as part of our national campaign and awareness towards sustainable management and the promotion of safer alternatives in Nigeria. The project goal was essentially to establish the current status of Chlorpyrifos use and the promotion of safer alternatives to inform policy implementation in Nigeria,” he noted.
By Ajibola Adedoye
