The Nigerian Senate has initiated steps to criminalize the artificial ripening of fruits using harmful chemicals, citing serious public health concerns.
This move, led by Senator Anthony Ani and backed by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, aims to amend existing laws to impose stiffer penalties on offenders. The goal is to discourage the growing trend of using hazardous chemicals to artificially ripen fruits, which the Senate believes poses a significant threat to citizens’ health.
To further address the issue, the Senate summoned the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, to clarify what actions have been taken to curb this practice. The Senate also directed various regulatory and enforcement bodies—including NAFDAC, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission—to intensify investigations into this trend. Additionally, they urged these agencies to begin nationwide public sensitization on the dangers of consuming chemically ripened fruits.
Senator Ani emphasized that while natural fruit ripening is a complex and safe biological process, many fruit sellers in Nigeria are using harmful and cheaper alternatives like calcium carbide, ethylene glycol, and ethephon to accelerate ripening. Though some agents like ethylene are non-toxic, the dangerous chemicals in use often contain carcinogenic and toxic substances such as arsenic and lead, which are known to cause cancer, organ failure, and other serious health problems.
The Senate expressed concern over the ignorance of many fruit vendors regarding the health hazards and the public’s preference for the visually appealing but chemically ripened fruits. This practice, driven by profit motives, has increased despite bans on these substances in several countries. As such, the Senate called for regular inspections of fruit markets and tighter controls on imported fruits to prevent the use of dangerous preservatives.
