Group Picture at the Country-Led Situation Analysis and Action Planning Validation and Stakeholder Workshop on Aflatoxin, held in Abuja |
As an effort to
ensuring food security across the country, experts in the agricultural sector have
jointly declared war on “Aflatoxin”, a silent killer, and a threat to food
security just as they have agreed to create awareness on the dangers of the
fungus to human and animal health.
This position was declared during the
Country-Led Situation Analysis and Action Planning Validation and Stakeholder
Workshop, organized by the Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA)
in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
(FMARD) supported by the African Union
(AU) which held in Abuja.
The
technical adviser, PACA-AU Prof. Martins EpafrasKimanya disclosed that the
effect of aflatoxin on international trade, health and food security had called
for the need to urgently proffer mitigation to the problem in Nigeria saying
that was why the country was picked alongside Gambia, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania
and Uganda so as to be part of the five pilot countries where control would be
effected for a ten year period (2013-2022).
Prof.
Kimanyadescripedaflatoxin fungus as a silent killer that must be prevented
through awareness pointed that the African Union (AU), the Government of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, PACA and ECOWAS have agreed to establish an
African Information Management System (AfricaIMS) among others towards
mitigating aflatoxin challenges in Nigeria.
He
stressed that aflatoxin control would also be mainstreamed into PACA initiative
through the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and
National Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans (NAFSIPs).
The PACA technical
officer urged Nigerians to champion the cause of aflatoxin mitigation in order
to create policy and an enabling environment that would allow evidence-based action
plans to be implemented by various stakeholders stated that aflatoxin
contamination was the most pervasive food safety challenge in Africa, and
therefore required a concerted, coordinated and holistic approach to have a
meaningful and sustainable impact on mitigation the problem.
Prof. Kimanya said
“Aflatoxins are natural compounds produced by the mould Aspergillusflavus
and related species. They are highly toxic to humans and animals, causing liver
disease and cancer. Chronic exposure to aflatoxins is also associated with
stunting and immune system suppression. Aflatoxin-producing moulds affect grain
and other food crops notably, maize and groundnuts. The toxin can be carried
over along the food chain and contaminate animal source foods. Humans and animals
get exposed to aflatoxins through ingestion of foods/feeds contaminated by the
toxins’’
The Director, Cereals
and Agric Development, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
(FMARD) Mr. Opara George Obinna said that the role played by PACA is strategic
and important to the country’s food security adding that if we want to
diversify our economy our food system has to be saved for human and animal
consumption.
He noted that we are
all sitting on aflatoxin, and it had eaten into our value chain crops
especially the exportable ones which has resulted to many not meeting market
standard based on fungus infection, stressed it was mandatory and urgent that
we think of more possible solutions to control the effects of the fungus on our
food production.
He stressed that the
Federal Government through the FMARD was dedicated to enforcing stringent
regulations that would mitigate the effect posed across the country, starting
from planting, to harvesting and storage.
Prof OlusegunAtanda,
Fellow Trustee and past President of the Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria said
that there was a great need to start combating aflatoxin situation in the
country, saying high postharvest losses were attributed to farmers’ produce
being susceptible to fungus growth and thereby leading to aflatoxin
A panelist and
discussant from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
(FAO), Mr. Ahmed Matane said that 90% of our extension workers were not aware
of aflatoxin negative impact, and this has deterred farmers’ sensitization,
adding that the food safety standard of the country needs to be upgraded to
avert major health problems posed by the silent killer through effective act.
A deputy director,
grains reserve, Mr. NuhuKilishi said it was not necessary to spend a huge fund
in the control and detection of this menace without a major sensitization of
its effect, adding prevention is better than cure.
The desk officer,
maize value chain FMARD Dr. MuftauAdeleke also advised the country to take
necessary step on the collection of the rejected crops, so as to avert illegal
sales by farmers or consumption by the livestock which could also endanger
human and animal health.
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