By Gloria Drealomalicha
Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has raised concerns over the use of chemicals in the cultivation, ripening and preservation of fruits and vegetables, recounting how a laboratory test reportedly 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.
A video of the event was later shared on his YouTube channel.
The former vice-president said his wife, Dolapo, began experiencing frequent headaches after she switched from carbonated drinks to drinking freshly squeezed orange juice every day.
He said the couple initially struggled to identify the possible cause of the headaches because they considered the juice a healthy alternative.
“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,” Osinbajo said.
“But then after a while she started having some strange headaches drinking her fresh juice every day.”
According to him, after other possible causes had been ruled out, his wife sent a batch of the juice to a laboratory for testing.
“The results came back. It showed the orange juice, freshly squeezed, was not fit for human consumption,” he said, joking that she “should have just stayed with Coke”.
Osinbajo attributed the reported result to chemicals used in farming and by some fruit sellers to ripen or preserve produce.
He specifically raised concerns about the use of pesticides and calcium carbide, which he said was sometimes used to accelerate the ripening of fruits such as bananas, mangoes, pawpaws and tomatoes.
The former vice-president cited studies conducted in different parts of Nigeria which, he said, found that some fruit sellers admitted using calcium carbide or other chemicals on their produce.
He referred to a 2024 study in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, where he said 10 of 20 fruit sellers interviewed admitted using calcium carbide. He also cited a study in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, which he said found that 25 per cent of fruit sellers admitted to using the chemical for ripening.
Osinbajo further referenced a 2023 survey in Lagos, saying 22 of 50 fruit retailers interviewed admitted using chemicals to preserve their produce.
“These were the ones who agreed they do,” he added.
He called for stronger enforcement of food safety regulations, greater public awareness and safer agricultural and food-handling practices.
Osinbajo also urged consumers to be more vigilant about the sources and handling of the fruits and vegetables they buy, stressing the need for greater attention to food safety across the agricultural supply chain.
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