By Emmanuel Babafemi
September 5, 2026
Former Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo has raised serious public health concerns regarding hazardous agricultural practices after discovering that toxic chemicals used to preserve fruits directly impacted his household.
Speaking on food safety, Osinbajo recounted how his wife, Dolapo, developed frequent and unusual headaches after adopting what appeared to be a healthier lifestyle.
According to him, she had completely stopped consuming carbonated drinks in favour of drinking a full glass of freshly squeezed orange juice every day.
When the persistent headaches continued, she began reviewing everything she consumed to identify the underlying cause.
Because fresh juice was initially viewed as a wholesome and safe choice, the family completely ruled it out at the start of their inquiry.
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However, after eliminating all other potential factors yielded no answers, she decided to send a batch of the freshly squeezed orange juice to a laboratory for professional analysis.
The laboratory results shocked the family by revealing that the freshly squeezed juice was entirely unfit for human consumption.
Osinbajo explained that farmers and fruit vendors frequently deploy hazardous pesticides and dangerous chemicals to artificially ripen or preserve fruits and vegetables before they reach consumer markets.
To underscore the widespread nature of the issue, the former vice president cited local market surveys detailing compromised retail practices.
He noted a survey conducted among 50 fruit and vegetable retailers in Lagos, which revealed that nearly half of the surveyed vendors admitted to using chemicals on their produce.
Furthermore, he referenced a separate study in Uyo showing that a quarter of fruit sellers acknowledged using calcium carbide to accelerate ripening.
Osinbajo warned that toxic substances such as calcium carbide, agricultural insecticides like Sniper, DDT, and brodifacoum are increasingly smuggled into the food supply chain.
He stressed that consumers can no longer rely on visual appearances or natural branding, noting that fresh-looking fruits and natural drinks can still harbour lethal chemical residues.
While acknowledging the vital role of government regulatory agencies, Osinbajo urged citizens to take active steps within their local communities.
He called for enhanced consumer vigilance, rigorous public awareness campaigns, and the prompt reporting of suspicious food handling practices to relevant authorities.
Photo caption: Fresh fruits displayed at an open market in Nigeria, where public health authorities continue to monitor and clamp down on the use of dangerous chemical ripening agents.
