Reported by Musa Antiketu,| Journalist at Obaland magazine.
Na new study don show say Nigeria dey among di West African countries wey get high rate of people wey dey suffer acute poisoning from pesticide.
Di study, wey researchers publish for Frontiers in Public Health on September 2, 2026, estimate say about 69 out of every 1,000 farmers and farm workers for Nigeria fit experience unintentional acute pesticide poisoning every year. Dis figure put Nigeria for second position for West Africa, behind Burkina Faso, wey get estimated rate of about 84 out of every 1,000 farmers and farm workers.
According to di research, acute pesticide poisoning mean sickness or health problem wey person fit suffer shortly after dem expose am to pesticide. Di researchers examine information from many countries between 2006 and 2023, together with death information from di World Health Organisation, to estimate di size of di wahala wey dey di world.
For West Africa, di study put Burkina Faso first with about 84 cases for every 1,000 farmers and farm workers, while Nigeria follow with about 69. The Gambia get about 51.5, Ghana get about 39, Senegal get about 30.5, while Côte d’Ivoire get about 20 cases for every 1,000 people inside di farming population wey di study cover.
Di wider finding show say pesticide poisoning no be small matter for farming communities across di world. Researchers estimate say between 402 million and 433 million cases of unintentional acute pesticide poisoning fit dey happen every year around di world, with about 11,000 people losing dia lives every year from di problem.
Di study also estimate say farmers and farm workers around di world number about 934 million, meaning say roughly 46 out of every 100 farmers fit experience pesticide poisoning every year. Southern Asia carry di highest estimated number of cases, followed by south-eastern Asia and eastern Africa.
For Nigeria, di finding dey important because farming remain major way wey plenty people dey take support dia families and communities. Farmers dey commonly come in contact with pesticide when dem dey mix or spray am, when dem dey touch crops wey dem don treat, and when dem dey handle equipment or clothes wey pesticide don contaminate.
Anoda recent research wey look specifically into pesticide poisoning for Nigeria also describe di mata as serious public-health problem. Di research on organophosphate poisoning for Nigeria examine 23 different studies involving 176 reported cases and find say children make up 55 per cent of di cases, while accidental swallowing account for 60.3 per cent. Di researchers also report say about 23.9 per cent of di cases for dia review end in death.
But experts dey warn say figures about pesticide poisoning fit still no show di full picture because plenty cases no dey reach hospital or no dey enter official records. Di new worldwide study itself call for better way to record and monitor pesticide poisoning so countries fit get information wey dem fit compare properly.
Di researchers dey call for stronger steps to reduce people exposure to dangerous pesticide, including better protection for farmers, stronger monitoring and safer farming methods. Dem also support international efforts to gradually remove highly dangerous pesticide and replace dem with safer alternatives.
For Nigeria, di finding fit serve as anoda warning say government agencies, farmers, agricultural groups and health authorities need work together to improve awareness about safe pesticide use. Farmers also need proper information about how to store, handle and apply pesticide so dem no go put dia own health, dia families or other people for danger.
Di matter no only concern farmers. People wey dey live close to farms fit also face risk if pesticide enter water, food, soil or surrounding environment. Better public awareness and stronger monitoring fit therefore help reduce both direct and indirect exposure.
Di new finding no mean say every Nigerian farmer go suffer pesticide poisoning every year. Instead, di figure na an estimate based on available research and population information. Di researchers also admit say information about pesticide poisoning no complete for many parts of di world, making stronger reporting and monitoring very important.
As Nigeria dey work to improve food production and support farmers, di health of di people wey dey produce di food also need serious attention. Safe farming no suppose only mean say farmer get better harvest; e suppose also mean say farmer fit work without putting im life and health for unnecessary danger.
Sources
- Frontiers for Public Health
- The Guardian
- World Health Organisation
- Springer Nature research on pesticide poisoning for Nigeria
New research don put Nigeria second for West Africa for estimated acute pesticide poisoning among farmers and farm workers, raising fresh concern about farmers health and safer farming.