Nigeria's paraquat phase-out and the sesame residues still stopping consignments
By Sandra Nansbuga
Nigeria's paraquat phase-out and the sesame residues still stopping consignments
Nigeria's phase-out periods for paraquat, chlorpyrifos and atrazine ended on 1 January 2026, and products containing them can no longer be made, imported, sold or used there. For sesame exporters the ban governs the input, not the crop: compliance is settled later, in a laboratory.
What did NAFDAC ban, and when?
In a release dated 9 October 2026, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control said all applicable phase-out periods under its completed measures had ended as of 1 January 2026, after which affected products cannot be manufactured, imported, distributed, sold or used. The actives it names include paraquat, chlorpyrifos and atrazine. NAFDAC's banned pesticides list, Version 02 of 12 February 2026, records all three as banned and lists ethylene oxide as a banned fumigant.
Is the ban being enforced?
NAFDAC reports intercepting 5,619 cartons, equivalent to 67,428 litres, of banned paraquat and 500 cartons, equivalent to 5,000 kg, of atrazine in Kebbi after the ban took effect. Between September 2024 and July 2026 its North-West Zone operations seized, intercepted or took custody of 2,974 cartons of paraquat worth about ₦148.7m and 120 cartons of chlorpyrifos worth more than ₦17m.
If the actives are banned, why do residues still reach a laboratory?
A ban removes a product from legal sale. It does not empty a warehouse or govern how a farmer applied what he bought last season. NAFDAC states that it does not oversee raw agricultural products, though it monitors them, and says residues above maximum residue limits may contribute to consignment rejections.
One correction to the premise. On European border data, Salmonella, not pesticides, is the dominant reason Nigerian sesame is stopped. Fruit-Risk's RASFF dashboard, covering notifications to the third quarter of 2026, logs 111 border rejections for Nigerian sesame since the fourth quarter of 2023, with Salmonella the most-cited issue.
Which tests should a sesame lot carry before shipment?
| Test | Establishes | Paper to hold |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-residue screen | Chlorpyrifos and other actives against destination limit | Certificate naming actives in scope |
| Paraquat screen | Paraquat, where the panel misses it | Written scope confirmation from the laboratory |
| Salmonella | Presence in 25g | Certificate plus sampling record |
| Ethylene oxide | Fumigant residue, banned in Nigeria | Fumigation record and certificate |
Agree the panel, sampling protocol and destination limits in the contract, and keep a sealed sample tied to the lot reference.
What this means for buyers
Regulatory risk is lower on paper now that the actives are prohibited; analytical risk is not, because stock in warehouses was treated under the old rules. Ask for lot-level, not product-level, certificates, and specify pass or fail against your market's limit, not a line that says tested. Fruit-Risk puts identity and physical checks for Salmonella at 50% of consignments under Regulation (EU) 2019/1793. A lot clean on residues can still be stopped.
What can an exporter control at farm level?
Buy only from dealers you can name, and keep the label and batch of every product applied. Apply at the label rate, observe the pre-harvest interval, and do not mix products the label does not pair. NAFDAC lists harvesting before the pre-harvest interval, rates above the approved recommendation, use on crops not recommended, inappropriate mixing, and reusing containers among the misuse patterns it names. It says more than 2,000 agro-input dealers have been trained, which makes dealer training a fair screening question. Aggregate by plot so a failed test traces to one supplier.
Related: Uganda's Teso robusta push (13 October 2026) and the Dala and Funtua dry ports note (12 October 2026).
FAQ
Q: Is paraquat still legal on sesame in Nigeria?
A: No. NAFDAC says products containing it can no longer be manufactured, imported, distributed, sold or used in Nigeria since 1 January 2026.
Q: Are residues or Salmonella the bigger risk to my consignment?
A: Salmonella, on European border data. Fruit-Risk logs 111 Nigerian sesame rejections since late 2023, with Salmonella the most cited.
Q: Which tests should a sesame lot carry before shipment?
A: A multi-residue screen covering chlorpyrifos, a paraquat screen if that panel misses it, Salmonella absence in 25g, and ethylene oxide where fumigation was used.
Sources: National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control | banned pesticides list | Fruit-Risk's RASFF dashboard