An expert in pesticides hazard, and programme manager of the Sustainable Nigeria program at Heinrich Boell Stiftung, Mr Ikenna Donald, has called on the government to develop strategies for a gradual phase out of Highly Hazardous Pesticides in Nigeria.

This is even has he revealed that the chemical was causing more damage to the health of Nigerian farmers.

In a statement by Friday in Abuja, Donald the government needs to urgently address the different types of chemicals that were being used in the country.

According to him, risks to other chemicals can be managed with a series of risk reduction measures but HHPs were too dangerous for the usual risk reduction measures to work especially in low and middle income countries like Nigeria.

“It is important to note that many pesticides that are classified as HHPs have been banned for sale in high income countries because of health and environmental effects, however companies based in HICs can legally produce and export these HHPs to us, E.G PARAQUAT is still being produced in EU and sent to us here in Africa.

“Having alternatives to HHPs is key to phasing out. Let us start the process of identifying the HHPs amongst our registered pesticides and develop a national strategy for addressing these,” he said.

He further urged the government to implement the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) and communicate to end users.