Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has raised concerns over the use of dangerous chemicals in ripening and preserving fruits, recounting how a laboratory test 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, with a video of the event shared on his YouTube channel on Wednesday, September 3, 2026. DailyVista247 gathered that Osinbajo said his wife, Dolapo Osinbajo, developed frequent headaches after she began drinking freshly squeezed orange juice every day as part of her healthy lifestyle.
According to him, Dolly likes to have a full glass of freshly squeezed orange juice every day, a very healthy habit especially since she stopped consuming any form of carbonated drinks many years ago. But after a while she started having strange headaches after drinking her fresh juice daily. They checked everything she was eating and drinking and wondered what could be the cause of the persistent headaches. They initially ruled out the orange juice because it was considered a healthy drink, until they decided to take the juice to a laboratory for proper testing and analysis.
The results came back and showed the orange juice, though freshly squeezed at home, was not fit for human consumption due to chemical contamination. Osinbajo attributed the result to the use of harmful chemicals by some farmers and fruit sellers across Nigeria, warning that the problem could expose millions of Nigerians to serious health risks. He said farmers use dangerous pesticides for fruits and vegetables during cultivation, while sellers use very dangerous chemicals sometimes to ripen or preserve them for market sale.
He added that calcium carbide is used very frequently to force fruits such as bananas, mangoes, pawpaws and tomatoes to change colour and look ripe very quickly even when they are not naturally ripe. The former vice-president cited studies from different parts of the country which documented the use of chemicals among fruit sellers. He referenced a 2024 study in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, where half of 20 fruit sellers interviewed admitted using calcium carbide, and another study in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where 25 per cent admitted to using the chemical to ripen fruits artificially.
Osinbajo further referred to a 2023 survey in Lagos where 22 out of 50 fruit retailers admitted using chemicals to preserve their produce for longer shelf life, noting that these were only the ones who agreed they do during the interview, suggesting the actual number of users could be much higher across major markets in Nigeria.
His call comes amid growing concerns over counterfeit and substandard products in Nigeria, with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, facing increased pressure as Nigerians use social media to expose suspected dangerous food and drugs. Health experts warn that fruits ripened with calcium carbide can cause headaches, dizziness, stomach disorders and long term health complications, as the chemical produces acetylene gas when mixed with water which is harmful to humans.
Osinbajo urged gardeners and farmers to adopt organic farming methods and avoid dangerous chemicals that could harm consumers, saying leaving the earth better than we found it should include producing safe and healthy food for all Nigerians and future generations.
