They made the call during the recent 2026 Annual General Meeting of CropLife Nigeria held in Lagos, where members also elected a new executive committee. The outgoing President of CropLife Nigeria, David Achimugu, said the proposed legislation would address gaps from product registration to field application practices.
“The bill, when established, will also provide a veritable platform for advocacy backed by law, which is especially important in our engagement with the international community and policy formulators.” Achimugu added that rising cases of food contamination and rejection of agricultural exports due to high pesticide residues underscored the urgency of stronger regulation and training.
He said, “MRL not only affects exporting countries, but it also affects local consumption. We have seen the implications in Nigeria, including cases involving cowpea and improper observance of re-entry periods, so as a body, we are seriously pursuing continuous training and stakeholder engagement.” He also urged the government to strengthen regulatory oversight of the pesticide industry.
He said, “We are saying to the government, please come and regulate us and give us a pesticide law so that all these issues can be addressed.” Meanwhile, the Founding President of CropLife Nigeria, Patrick Ikemefuna, decried Nigeria’s lack of a comprehensive pesticide law, which has created structural challenges for the sector.
He said, “Nigeria is the only country that does not have a good pesticide bill, and there is a structural problem because regulation is not properly aligned with the Ministry of Agriculture. Codex has set standards for minimum residue levels for every crop, and if proper pesticides are not used, agricultural produce such as cocoa will be rejected.” Ikemefuna added that while the association had intensified stewardship by training farmers and dealers, broader regulation remained critical.
He said, “We train farmers and dealers to ensure proper application, but Nigeria is too large for voluntary compliance alone, which is why we are calling on the government to provide proper regulation to bring everyone together.” At the AGM, members elected Martins Awofisayo as President, Moses Mordi as Vice President, and Dr Abdullahi Ndarubu as Chairman of the Technical Committee, alongside other executive members.
It is not one-size-fits-all because Europe has its standards and the United States has its standards, so if you are sending products, you need to understand the allowable limits.” Mordi stressed that MRL compliance affects both export and domestic markets. He said, “MRL not only affects exporting countries, but it also affects local consumption.
Mordi stressed that MRL compliance affects both export and domestic markets. He said, “MRL not only affects exporting countries, but it also affects local consumption. We have seen the implications in Nigeria, including cases involving cowpea and improper observance of re-entry periods, so as a body, we are seriously pursuing continuous training and stakeholder engagement.” He also urged the government to strengthen regulatory oversight of the pesticide industry.
He also urged the government to strengthen regulatory oversight of the pesticide industry. He said, “We are saying to the government, please come and regulate us and give us a pesticide law so that all these issues can be addressed.” Meanwhile, the Founding President of CropLife Nigeria, Patrick Ikemefuna, decried Nigeria’s lack of a comprehensive pesticide law, which has created structural challenges for the sector.