The agency’s advocacy was also aimed at ending artificial ripening of fruits with calcium carbide, insisting that such practices are dangerous to human health.

The Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Christiana Adeyeye, who stated this at the South East media sensitisation workshop on ‘Dangers of Drug Hawking and Ripening of Fruits With Calcium Carbide,’ in Awka, Anambra State, further warned the public to stop patronising drug hawkers.

She noted that several national dailies and non-governmental organisations have raised concerns on the looming danger and health implication of these two nefarious activities by certain unpatriotic and unscrupulous citizens, adding that NAFDAC will do everything to stop it.

She disclosed that the agency, since 2019, has taken some decisive steps such as, sensitisation of the public through different media outlets, enforcement through intelligence and raids in fruit markets resulting in seizures and destruction of products that did not meet the standard.

Adeyeye said that NAFDAC had noticed the dangerous practice of sale and consumption of fruits artificially ripened with calcium carbide, as well as illegal hawking of drugs in the open market.

She added that the essence of the workshop was for the media to further disseminate the health implication of patronising drug hawkers and consumption of fruits ripened with calcium carbide.

“I wish to assure you that NAFDAC will constantly engage the media as we strive to sensitise people at the grassroots on the positive impacts of our regulatory activities.

“The menace of drug hawking poses a serious challenge to the healthcare delivery system in the country, and this underscored NAFDAC’s determination to totally eradicate the illicit trade.

“Many drug hawkers are knowingly or unknowingly merchants of death, who expose essential and life saving medicines to the vagaries of inclement weather, which degrade the active ingredients of the medicine and turn them to poisons, thereby endangering human lives.”