*Cites Studies On Chemical Use By Fruit Sellers In Lagos, Uyo, Ado-Ekiti

Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has raised concerns over the use of chemicals in the ripening and preservation of fruits and vegetables in Nigeria, recounting how laboratory tests allegedly showed that freshly squeezed orange juice regularly consumed by his wife was 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, 2026, with a video of the event later shared on his YouTube channel.

According to the former Vice-President, his wife, Dolapo Osinbajo, had developed recurring headaches after she began drinking a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice daily.

“Dolly, my dear wife, likes to have a full glass of freshly squeezed orange juice every day, a very healthy habit, by the way, especially since she stopped consuming any form of carbonated drinks many years ago,” Osinbajo said.

“But then after a while she started having some strange headaches drinking her fresh juice every day. Then she checked everything she was eating and drinking, and we were wondering what could the cause of this be?”

Osinbajo said the family initially did not suspect the orange juice because it was regarded as a healthy drink.

“We assumed, of course, it couldn’t be the ‘healthy’ orange juice,” he said.

He said a laboratory examination subsequently returned a troubling result.

“The results came back. It showed the orange juice, freshly squeezed, was not fit for human consumption,” Osinbajo said.

He linked the result to what he described as the use of dangerous pesticides and chemicals by some farmers and fruit vendors to ripen or preserve produce.

“Apparently farmers use dangerous pesticides for fruits and vegetables, and fruit and vegetable sellers use very dangerous chemicals sometimes to ripen or preserve fruits and vegetables,” he said.

Osinbajo particularly raised concerns about the use of calcium carbide, saying it was frequently used to force fruits to change colour and appear ripe more quickly.

“Calcium carbide is used very frequently to force fruits such as bananas, mangoes, pawpaws and tomatoes to change colour and look ripe very quickly,” he said.

The former Vice-President also cited studies which he said documented the practice among some fruit sellers in different parts of the country.

He referred to a 2024 study in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, in which, according to him, half of 20 fruit sellers interviewed admitted using calcium carbide.

Osinbajo also cited another study in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where he said 25 per cent of fruit sellers interviewed acknowledged using the chemical to ripen fruits.

He further referred to a 2023 survey in Lagos in which, according to him, 22 out of 50 fruit retailers admitted using chemicals to preserve their produce.

“These were the ones who agreed they do,” he said.

Osinbajo’s account adds to concerns over food safety and the alleged use of potentially harmful substances in the treatment, preservation and artificial ripening of fruits and vegetables sold to consumers.

His comments also come amid wider public scrutiny of the safety of food, drugs, cosmetics and other consumer products, with regulatory agencies facing increased calls to strengthen monitoring and enforcement against unsafe practices.

While Osinbajo linked his wife’s experience and the laboratory result to concerns about chemical use in fruits, the account as presented did not identify the specific chemical allegedly found in the orange juice or establish through the quoted material that the juice was medically proven to have caused her headaches.

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