…As former VP alleges farmers, fruit traders use carbide, Sniper, phosphite, other toxic chemicals
Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has raised a fresh alarm over food safety in Nigeria, revealing that laboratory tests conducted on freshly squeezed orange juice consumed by his wife, Dolapo Osinbajo, found the drink unfit for human consumption.
Osinbajo made the startling disclosure at the Open Day for Gardeners’ Seminar, themed “Leaving The Earth Better Than We Found It,” held in Lagos on August 28.
A video of the event, later published on his YouTube channel, has sparked renewed concerns over the safety of fruits and vegetables sold in Nigerian markets.
According to the former Vice President, his wife had abandoned carbonated drinks and switched to freshly squeezed orange juice as what she considered a healthier alternative.
However, he said she began experiencing unexplained and frequent headaches several months after making the switch.
Osinbajo said the family initially searched for other possible causes but eventually decided to subject the orange juice to laboratory analysis.
The result, according to him, was alarming.
«“The results came back. It showed that the orange juice, freshly squeezed, was not fit for human consumption.”»
Osinbajo said the incident forced him to question the assumption that products considered “natural” or “fresh” are automatically safe.
‘This Is Almost An Epidemic’
The former Vice President subsequently turned his attention to what he described as the widespread and potentially dangerous use of chemicals by farmers and traders to accelerate the ripening, preservation and appearance of fruits and vegetables.
He specifically mentioned calcium carbide, as well as substances he identified as gamma-lin-20, Sniper and phosphite, alleging that some are being used to manipulate produce before it reaches consumers.
According to Osinbajo, studies conducted among fruit sellers in Nigeria have uncovered worrying levels of chemical use.
He cited a 2024 study in which half of 20 fruit sellers interviewed reportedly admitted using calcium carbide, while another study placed the rate at 25 per cent among sellers surveyed.
He also referenced a 2023 survey of 50 fruit and vegetable retailers in Lagos, where 22 respondents—more than half—reportedly admitted using chemicals to preserve their products.
“So, this is almost, you know, like an epidemic,” Osinbajo said.
He warned that the danger may be particularly difficult for consumers to detect because chemically treated produce can still appear attractive, fresh and perfectly ripe.
Osinbajo said Nigerians could no longer rely solely on appearance when purchasing food.
“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,” he warned.
He called for stronger regulation, tougher enforcement and greater public awareness, stressing that farmers and traders must also be educated on safer methods of handling and preserving agricultural produce.
The former Vice President urged consumers to be more vigilant, question suspicious practices and report cases involving potentially hazardous treatment of food products.
Who Is Watching the Food Chain?
The disclosure has again placed Nigeria’s food-safety enforcement system under scrutiny, particularly the effectiveness of agencies responsible for monitoring what gets from farms and markets to consumers’ tables.
The concerns come amid growing online campaigns exposing suspected counterfeit and substandard food, drugs, cosmetics and other consumer products in Nigerian markets.
Recent social media claims have included allegations involving fake toothpaste, adulterated palm oil, artificially coloured fruits, counterfeit soy sauce and olive oil, as well as suspected fake dairy products.
While viral claims require independent verification before being treated as established facts, Osinbajo’s account has intensified questions over the ability of regulatory agencies to detect chemical contamination and unsafe practices before such products reach consumers.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) are among the agencies expected to play critical roles in protecting consumers from unsafe products.
However, at the time of the report, NAFDAC’s Head of Enforcement, Dr Martin Iluyomade, reportedly did not respond to calls or WhatsApp messages seeking clarification on the allegations, while SON directed enquiries to NAFDAC.
The bigger question now is whether Nigerians can genuinely tell what is safe to eat—or whether dangerous substances are quietly entering the food chain under the cover of attractive, fresh-looking produce.
