Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned the general public against patronizing drug hawkers and fruit seller who induced fruit ripening artificially.
According to NAFDAC drug hawkers and fruit sellers are endangering the lives of unsuspecting Nigerians.
The Director General of the Agency, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, who was represented by the agency’s Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola raised alarm during a one-day media sensitization workshop on the dangers of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with Calcium Carbide organized by the North-East Zone of NAFDAC in Bauchi on Monday.
She lamented that fake drugs and ripening of fruits with chemicals were two dangerous practices by unscrupulous persons that is killing unsuspecting citizens.
She explained that the workshop was to inform journalists to create public awareness on the dangers lurking around for Nigerians to stop patronizing them.
Prof. Adeyeye revealed that there has been calls by well-meaning Nigerians on the need to take stringent regulatory actions to stem the dangerous tide of drug hawkers and sellers of ripened fruits with Calcium Carbide.
She also explained that there had also been several concerns on the looming danger and health implication of these two nefarious activities in the country.
“Since 2019, we immediately took some decisive steps such as sensitization of the public through different media outlets, enforcement through intelligence and raids in fruit markets that have resulted in seizures and destruction of violative products”, she said.
The DG said that the workshop with media was in fulfilment of the agency’s promise to sustain and strengthen NAFDAC’s existing collaboration journalists towards mobilizing, educating, sensitizing, and conscientizing members of the public on the dangerous practice.
“We are doing it for Nigerian journalists to play frontline role in our concerted efforts to eradicate the menace of Drug Hawking and Ripening of Fruits with Calcium Carbide in Nigeria”, she said.
