Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has raised concerns over the use of dangerous chemicals in ripening and preserving fruits, recounting how a laboratory test found his wife’s freshly squeezed orange juice “not fit for human consumption”.

Osinbajo spoke at the Open Day for Gardeners’ Seminar themed “Leaving the Earth Better Than We Found It”, held in Lagos on August 28, with a video of the event shared on his YouTube channel on Wednesday.

Osinbajo said his wife, Dolapo, developed frequent headaches after she began drinking freshly squeezed orange juice every day.

“Dolly, my dear wife, likes to have a full glass of freshly squeezed orange juice every day, a very healthy habit, by the way, especially since she stopped consuming any form of carbonated drinks many years ago,” he said.

“But then after a while she started having some strange headaches drinking her fresh juice every day. Then she checked everything she was eating and drinking, and we were wondering what could the cause of this be?”

He said they initially ruled out the orange juice because it was considered a healthy drink.

“We assumed, of course, it couldn’t be the ‘healthy’ orange juice,” he said.

“The results came back. It showed the orange juice, freshly squeezed, was not fit for human consumption.”

Osinbajo attributed the result to the use of harmful chemicals by some farmers and fruit sellers, warning that the problem could expose Nigerians to health risks.

His words, “Apparently farmers use dangerous pesticides for fruits and vegetables, and fruit and vegetable sellers use very dangerous chemicals sometimes to ripen or preserve fruits and vegetables.”

“Calcium carbide is used very frequently to force fruits such as bananas, mangoes, pawpaws and tomatoes to change colour and look ripe very quickly,” Osinbajo added.

The former vice-president cited studies from different parts of the country which he said had documented the use of chemicals among some fruit sellers.

He referenced a 2024 study in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, where, according to him, half of 20 fruit sellers interviewed admitted using calcium carbide. Similarly, another study in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where 25 per cent of fruit sellers reportedly admitted to using the chemical to ripen fruits.

Osinbajo further referred to a 2023 survey in Lagos, saying 22 out of 50 fruit retailers admitted using chemicals to preserve their produce.

“These were the ones who agreed they do,” he said.

His call comes amid growing concerns over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard products in Nigeria, with NAFDAC and SON facing increased pressure as Nigerians use social media to expose food, drugs, cosmetics and other consumer goods suspected to be dangerous.

…Set to launch hospital, targets large share of medical tourism

_…Facility attracts outpouring of interest from diaspora medics

Ahead of the imminent inauguration of the Enugu International Hospital, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has undertaken a tour of the facility, declaring that Enugu State was ready to welcome the world.

Mbah said the hospital was now fully installed with state-of-the-art medical equipment and would help to reverse medical tourism out of the country, ensuring that the state secures a large chunk of the multibillion-dollar market.

Fielding questions from newsmen on Thursday evening after a pre-launch walkthrough of the facility situated at Rangers Avenue, Independence Layout, Enugu, Mbah said the hospital was a product of a deliberate health agenda.

“If you recall our manifesto during our campaign for office, we made it clear that we were committed to making Enugu a medical tourism hub on the continent.

“We knew the size of that market and wanted to have a good share of that market. But we knew also that it was never going to be wished into existence.

“We knew that we needed to do things differently and build a world-class facility and, most importantly, attract top-notch professionals to provide services. We cannot wait to welcome the world to Enugu,” he stated.

Mbah regretted that there was just about one functional location for PET Scan services in the country, but noted that the hospital would now bridge the wide gap in advanced medical services in the country.

“We have quite a lot of Ndi Enugu, and Nigerians who travel to India, Turkey, the United States, and the United Kingdom to seek medical attention. So, what we are asking for is just a fraction of what they would have spent overseas for the same quality services,” he said.

“We felt that if we want to compete globally, then we must also have the ability to provide advanced oncology services. Therefore, we are not only able to give you an advanced diagnosis, but we’re also able to treat. So, both diagnostically and therapeutically, the place to come to is right here in Enugu.

“We have also received an outpouring of interest from our healthcare professionals in the diaspora. Some of them were doing well here at some point and now went overseas to practice. They are now happy to come back home and give back to the society that nurtured them. We are excited about that,” he stated.

He added that the Enugu International Hospital would equally engage in telemedicine as one of its areas of strength.

“Of course, you may be in love with the building and the equipment, but you should also engage professionals from across the globe. You see this in our commitment to telemedicine, digital and electronic medical practices and equipment,” he explained.

He emphasised that the hospital was part of his administration’s agenda for the health sector as a major part of his government’s vision to grow the state’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn, and ensure high quality and increased life expectancy for the people.

“If you look at our intervention in the healthcare sector, from the primary healthcare to the secondary, tertiary, and now the quaternary, it is intentional.

“We are investing heavily in security and healthcare because we know that these are what investors would ask you: ‘Am I safe? If I fall sick, would I have a place where I can get quality medical attention?’” he said, adding that the hospital would also create jobs.

Speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Sam Agwu, listed six specialty areas the hospital would provide services in once commissioned.

“We have earmarked six specialty centres here. In the Cancer Centre, we are going to provide medical, surgical, and nuclear medicine therapeutics and diagnostics.

“Then we are going to have the Heart and Vascular Centre of Excellence to deal with all heart problems and open-heart surgery, as you may know; cardiology consultation and diagnostics, electrophysiology and arrhythmia care, coronary care and acute cardiac pathways, interventional cardiology and cath-lab procedures, heart-failure and cardiac rehabilitation clinics, and of course vascular assessment and collaborative surgical care.

“We are going to have the Neurosciences Centre where we will deal with stroke, epilepsy, brain and spine tumours, neurosurgical procedures, among others.

“We are going to have a Renal and Transplant Centre of Excellence covering full kidney, chronic kidney disease clinics, early nephrology review, dialysis support and transplant assessment.

“Then, apart from all the centres of excellence, we are going to have wellness and regenerative medicine, while the usual departments that you know of – mother and child, general surgery, ENT, dental, ophthalmology, among others – will all be here.

Former Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Enugu State, Dr. Sunday Nwafor, hailed the milestone, saying the hospital would promote brain gain by reversing the mass exodus of medical doctors from the country.

“Going forward, our doctors have a place of international standard where they can practice with state-of-the-art equipment and also earn well,” he said.

Mbah was accompanied by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, among others.

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called on stakeholders and Nigerians to lead vigilance against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) to medicines/drugs and Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR).

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made the call on during a one-day Pharmacovigilance Workshop and Stakeholders Town Hall Meeting in Enugu.

Represented by NAFDAC’s Director, South-East Zone, Dr Festus Ukadike, the director-general noted that the gravest consequences of irrational medicine use today is AMR.

She explained that the misuse and overuse of antibiotics had accelerated the emergence of resistant microorganisms that no longer respond to conventional treatment.

“This means that infections previously treatable with common antibiotics are becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to manage.

“If urgent action is not taken, antimicrobial resistance may reverse decades of medical progress and place humanity at serious risk.

“This is why Pharmacovigilance is extremely important. Pharmacovigilance refers to the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects or any other medicine-related problems.

“In simple terms, Pharmacovigilance helps us ensure that medicines remain safe and effective even after they have been approved and released into the market,” she said.

Adeyeye noted that no medicine is completely free from side effects.

“However, through effective Pharmacovigilance systems, healthcare professionals and patients can identify harmful reactions early, report them appropriately, and help regulatory authorities take necessary actions to protect the public,” she said.

She said that Pharmacovigilance remained a core mandate of the agency, adding that stakeholders and general public should play active part in monitoring AMR and ADR to ensure effectiveness of medicine and treatment.

Speaking, the Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers’ Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu, commended NAFDAC for the workshop, while urging the agency to put more effort in curbing sales of fake medicines in the hinterlands.

Asadu said that Pharmacovigilance was needed more in the hinterlands of the state to stop people paddling fake medicines and “selling outright chalk as medicine in villages in the state”.

He gave the commitment of royal fathers in the state in providing necessary support to NAFDAC to check paddlers of fake medicines, “as we see our people die due to their activities.”

Corroborating, the State Coordinator of World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Adaeze Ugwu, said that the organisation would continue to support NAFDAC in the agency’s resolve to strengthen food and healthcare in the country.

Also, Dr Oliver Ezemba, Chairman, Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietory Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), urged everybody to get concerned on the issues of AMR and ADR to guarantee quality medicines for everyone.

Ezemba called on Nigerians to imbibe the habit of reporting any irregularities observed while using a medicine to NAFDAC for proper investigation, which would serve the benefit of many Nigerians using same medicine.

The participants asked questions on AMR and ADR as well as made pledge on reporting any suspectable AMR or ADR case through the NAFDAC’s Med Safety Mobile App using their cellphone or computer set.

In the workshop, a presentation was made on “Need for Effective Pharmacovigilance by All’, delivered by Mr Chidi Uche and Mrs Ogechi Udeh, who are NAFDAC officials.