The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has criticised what she described as widespread ignorance among Nigerians, saying many people fail to read or understand instructions relating to food safety and regulated products.
Adeyeye made the remarks during an appearance on BusinessDay TV while explaining the responsibilities of NAFDAC and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in regulating food and agricultural chemicals.
“We are ignorant in this country. We are very ignorant. We don’t read, we don’t understand,” she said.
Her comments came in the context of concerns surrounding pesticide use, food safety and public understanding of the responsibilities of different government agencies.
Adeyeye explained that food safety regulation in Nigeria involves several institutions operating across different stages of the food chain.
She said NAFDAC’s regulatory responsibility primarily covers processed and semi-processed food products, while other government agencies have responsibilities relating to fresh agricultural produce and other stages of the food-production process.
The NAFDAC chief also pointed to the importance of consumers understanding information and instructions provided on regulated products.
Poor adherence to instructions on pesticides and other agricultural chemicals can create health and environmental risks, making proper regulation and public education particularly important.
Adeyeye’s remarks have generated attention because they shift part of the food-safety conversation toward consumer awareness and compliance rather than placing the responsibility entirely on regulators.
The comments also come amid broader efforts by Nigerian authorities to strengthen food-safety oversight and clarify the responsibilities of government institutions involved in the food chain.
While the language used by the NAFDAC director-general was blunt, her central argument was that effective regulation requires cooperation from regulators, producers, sellers and consumers.