Stakeholders demand pesticide bill to regulate agro industry

Agrofood professionals under CropLife Nigeria have called for the passage of a comprehensive pesticide bill to regulate the industry and deepen sensitisation on the implications of Maximum Residue Limits in agricultural products.

The stakeholders also demanded mandatory training and certification of agro-dealers, agricultural extension workers, and other operators across the value chain to curb the misuse of pesticides and improve food safety.

They made the call during the recent 2026 Annual General Meeting of CropLife Nigeria held in Lagos, where members also elected a new executive committee.

The outgoing President of CropLife Nigeria, David Achimugu, said the proposed legislation would address gaps from product registration to field application practices.

He said, “The goal is to have an all-encompassing law to govern the pesticide industry in Nigeria that will address all issues and challenges of the industry from product registration to Good Agricultural Practices involving mandatory training and certification of agro-dealers, agricultural extension workers, and other relevant stakeholders.

“The bill, when established, will also provide a veritable platform for advocacy backed by law, which is especially important in our engagement with the international community and policy formulators.”

Achimugu added that rising cases of food contamination and rejection of agricultural exports due to high pesticide residues underscored the urgency of stronger regulation and training.

He said, “As a result of reported incessant cases of food contamination and rejection of agricultural commodities due to high pesticide residues arising from gross misuse and abuse of instructions on product labels, coupled with poor knowledge and skills of stakeholders, CropLife Nigeria in collaboration with NAFDAC set up a special-purpose stewardship committee to train agrochemical dealers across Nigeria, and we have covered close to four regions to date.”

Speaking on industry sensitisation efforts, the newly elected Vice President of CropLife Nigeria, Moses Mordi, said the association had intensified engagement with stakeholders on compliance with Maximum Residue Limits.

He said, “Last year, we did a major seminar where we brought all stakeholders and sensitised them on the implications of the Maximum Residue Limit and informed them of standards. It is not one-size-fits-all because Europe has its standards and the United States has its standards, so if you are sending products, you need to understand the allowable limits.”

Mordi stressed that MRL compliance affects both export and domestic markets. He said, “MRL not only affects exporting countries, but it also affects local consumption. We have seen the implications in Nigeria, including cases involving cowpea and improper observance of re-entry periods, so as a body, we are seriously pursuing continuous training and stakeholder engagement.”

He also urged the government to strengthen regulatory oversight of the pesticide industry. He said, “We are saying to the government, please come and regulate us and give us a pesticide law so that all these issues can be addressed.”

Meanwhile, the Founding President of CropLife Nigeria, Patrick Ikemefuna, decried Nigeria’s lack of a comprehensive pesticide law, which has created structural challenges for the sector.

He said, “Nigeria is the only country that does not have a good pesticide bill, and there is a structural problem because regulation is not properly aligned with the Ministry of Agriculture. Codex has set standards for minimum residue levels for every crop, and if proper pesticides are not used, agricultural produce such as cocoa will be rejected.”

Ikemefuna added that while the association had intensified stewardship by training farmers and dealers, broader regulation remained critical. He said, “We train farmers and dealers to ensure proper application, but Nigeria is too large for voluntary compliance alone, which is why we are calling on the government to provide proper regulation to bring everyone together.”

At the AGM, members elected Martins Awofisayo as President, Moses Mordi as Vice President, and Dr Abdullahi Ndarubu as Chairman of the Technical Committee, alongside other executive members.