The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed four unauthorised pesticide and agrochemical manufacturing facilities in Bichi, Kano State, amid a nationwide crackdown on banned chemicals threatening public health and food safety.
The agency disclosed this while raising the alarm over the illegal circulation of prohibited and unregistered pesticides across Nigeria, warning that the products pose serious risks to consumers, farmers and the environment.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC said it had intensified surveillance and enforcement operations to dismantle illegal supply chains and prevent banned agrochemicals from entering local markets through neighbouring countries and unauthorised routes.
The agency also disclosed that it seized banned agrochemicals worth more than N800m across Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states in 2025.
In the North-West, enforcement operations conducted between September 2024 and July 2026 led to the seizure of 2,974 cartons of paraquat-based pesticides valued at about N148.7m and 120 cartons of chlorpyrifos-based products worth more than N17m.
NAFDAC added that recent operations in Kebbi State resulted in the interception of 5,619 cartons of paraquat-based products and 500 cartons of atrazine-based pesticides.
“The illegal movement of banned and unregistered pesticides across our borders poses a serious threat to public health, food safety, and the environment,” Adeyeye said.
The agency said the enforcement drive followed scientific reviews and consultations with stakeholders that led to the phased ban of selected pesticide ingredients, including paraquat, chlorpyrifos and atrazine.
According to NAFDAC, the bans on paraquat, chlorpyrifos and atrazine took effect on January 1, 2024, November 1, 2024, and January 1, 2025, respectively, while the applicable phase-out grace periods ended on January 1, 2026.
It also prohibited the importation, manufacture and open-market or supermarket sale of 100ml packs of dichlorvos, commonly known as DDVP, over concerns about its misuse on consumable agricultural produce.
NAFDAC said it was working with security and law enforcement agencies to disrupt illegal distribution networks and prosecute offenders.
The agency warned that even approved pesticides could pose serious health and environmental risks if misused, applied to unauthorised crops or sprayed too close to harvest.
It urged farmers and agro-input users to buy pesticides only from licensed dealers, follow product-label instructions, use recommended quantities, observe pre-harvest safety intervals and dispose of empty containers safely.
NAFDAC also disclosed that it had trained more than 2,000 agro-input dealers nationwide to promote product authenticity and responsible pesticide management.
It called on manufacturers, importers, distributors, farmers and members of the public to report suspected illegal or unsafe products through its nearest offices or official reporting channels.