ABUJA – In a major move to safeguard public health, the Nigerian Senate is considering amendments to prescribe stiffer penalties for individuals using harmful chemicals to ripen fruits artificially.
The decision follows an investigation by Senate joint committees that uncovered widespread dangerous food handling practices across the country. These include ripening fruits with raw calcium carbide, cooking meat with paracetamol, preserving grains with sniper insecticide, and using banned dyes in palm oil and pepper.
Senator Ipalibo Banigo, who chairs the joint committee, presented findings showing these practices are linked to severe health threats including cancer, kidney and liver diseases, and food-borne illnesses like cholera and Lassa fever.
“The issue is a public health crisis and not just a consumer rights issue,” the committee reported, noting that Nigeria recorded over 14,000 cholera cases with 378 deaths in 2025 alone, plus 119 deaths from food-related Lassa fever infections.
The Senate has resolved to mandate relevant agencies including the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to intensify public awareness campaigns about the dangers of chemical food ripening and adulteration.
The legislative body also directed existing regulatory agencies to strengthen enforcement through legal means, recognizing that current laws under the Criminal Code already criminalize food, meat, and water adulteration.
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Disclaimer: This article reports on proposed legislative actions by the Nigerian Senate. The implementation and enforcement of these measures will depend on subsequent legal processes and regulatory agency actions.
