NAFDAC bans Sniper insecticide in Nigeria, gives six-month moratorium

Abiodun OBA

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has announced the ban on sale of Sniper and other brands of agricultural formulations of Dichlorvos brands in open markets and supermarkets nationwide with effect from September 1, 2019 following rampant suicide cases and misuse of the products.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, in a statement said from September 1, 2019, Sniper and other related products would not be sold in supermarkets and in the open markets.

The NAFDAC boss said such products should only be used for outdoor purposes and not private homes.

The statement read in part, “NAFDAC is giving a two-month (up to August 31, 2019) notice to brand owners/distributors to recall and withdraw their products from open markets and supermarkets that do not have garden corner/shelves to the agro dealer outlets.

The statement added that NAFDAC is giving a six-month moratorium up to January 1, 2020 for brand owners to exhaust the products that are in various accredited agro-input dealers (distributors/marketers/retailers) outlets.”

The agency ordered the mandatory listing of dealers, distributors, marketers and retailers of agrochemicals.

All NAFDAC formations are expected to collect the list to ensure continual monitoring of all agro dealers in their states, the statement stated further.

The agency said CropLife Nigeria, in collaboration with NAFDAC, had agreed to provide antidotes against Dichlorvos poisoning in tertiary and secondary medical centres across Nigeria, as well as the reformulation of all Dichlorvos preparation to include “bitter agents and vomiting induced agents.”

It banned the importation and manufacture of 100ml pack size of agricultural formulations of Dichlorvos with immediate effect while the hawking of all agrochemical formulations was also prohibited.