The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC has warned Nigerians against drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide. NAFDAC noted that drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide, are dangerous to public health.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, disclosed this in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State yesterday, during the South-South zonal media sensitisation workshop on Dangers of Drug Hawking and Ripening Fruits with Calcium Carbide. Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, said fruit ripening with chemicals has caused diseases in many Nigerians.

Adeyeye said, “There have been clarion calls by well-meaning Nigerians on the need to take stringent regulatory actions to stem the dangerous tide of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide.

According to her, the sensitisation workshop was in fulfillment of her promise to sustain and strengthen NAFDAC’s existing collaboration with health journalists in Nigeria towards mobilisation, sensitisation and training of journalists to play a role in the eradication of drugs hawking and ripening of fruits with chemicals.

She said importers of fruits are checked to ensure that fruits ripened with chemicals are not brought into the country, and called on law agencies, consumers, and health workers to step up the campaign against drug hawking and fruits ripening with chemicals to check terminal diseases among Nigerians.