Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has recounted how persistent headaches suffered by his wife, Dolapo, led to the discovery that the freshly squeezed orange juice she had been drinking was reportedly unfit for human consumption.
Osinbajo disclosed this while speaking at the Open Day of the Gardeners’ Seminar in Lagos, where he used the experience to highlight concerns over the safety of fruits and vegetables sold to Nigerians.
He said his wife had switched from carbonated beverages to fresh orange juice because she considered it a healthier choice. However, after making the drink part of her daily routine, she reportedly began experiencing unusual headaches.
According to him, she subsequently reviewed her diet and decided to have a sample of the orange juice examined in a laboratory. The result, he said, indicated that the drink was not fit for human consumption.
Osinbajo said the incident raised questions about what happens to food between the farm and the consumer, alleging that some agricultural producers and traders use chemicals to protect, preserve or hasten the ripening of produce.
He mentioned calcium carbide and some pesticides, while referring to studies from Ekiti, Oyo and Lagos states which he said had documented the use of chemicals by some fruit and vegetable sellers. He did not, however, identify the substance reportedly found in the juice or provide details of the laboratory analysis.
The former Vice-President cautioned Nigerians against equating freshness or natural appearance with safety, stressing that potentially harmful substances could be introduced at different points in the food supply chain.
He called for tighter monitoring and enforcement of food-safety regulations, urging farmers and traders to embrace safer practices and consumers to properly wash fruits and vegetables and alert relevant authorities to suspected violations.