Stop the Spread of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs): Save Our Farmers, Save Our Food, Save Our Future
Dear Legislators, Governors, LGA Chairmen, MDAs, Development Partners, CSOs, Farmers Associations, and Agrochemical Dealers,
Every farming season, Nigerian politicians, Ministries of Agriculture, government agencies, NGOs, donor programs, farmers associations, and philanthropist spend millions and billions of naira on “agricultural support packages, programs and budget allocations”- especially chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers which are distribute to farmers, citizens, and communities in their constituencies and various developmental support programs.
Many of these agrochemicals or pesticides contain Active Ingredients that the World Health Organization (WHO), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), PubChem, Breast Cancer Prevention Partnership (BCPP), European Chemical Agency (ECHA), EPA and other international specialized organisations have categories as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) due to their highly toxic effect on humans and the environment.
Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) are chemical substances used to control pests that pose particularly high levels of risk to human health or the environment. They are classified based on internationally recognized criteria and are considered the most dangerous pesticides due to their toxicity and potential for causing long-term harm.
Over 65% of Active Ingredients across various pesticides, brands in Nigerian homes, stores, farms and markets are classified as Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs). Nigeria ranks highest among surveyed African countries for harmful pesticide residues in food. This is partly why over 70% of Nigeria’s food exports are rejected abroad, and are even listed on the export ban list of countries. This also accounts for the large number of food poisoning cases across Nigeria – an estimated 200,000 deaths occur annually due to food poisoning, and the cost of illnesses associated with foodborne diseases is estimated at $3.6 billion per year.
