Aflatoxin: African experts declare war, lament low awareness

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.