A bill seeking to prohibit the production, importation, distribution, sale and consumption of “unbranded and unfortified” edible oils in Nigeria has suffered a setback at the House of Representatives.
During Wednesday’s plenary, lawmakers argued that the
provisions of the bill duplicate the statutory responsibilities of the National
Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Chike Okafor (APC,
Imo), was listed for second reading but was stepped down after widespread
opposition from members.
THE BILL
Okafor said the bill was designed to address the growing
public health risks posed by the widespread consumption of unbranded and
unfortified cooking oils.
He said available statistics showed that 67 percent of
Nigerians consume unbranded edible oils, while only 31 percent of edible oils
circulating in the country are fortified.
Quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO), the lawmaker
said food fortification remained “a proven, cost-effective strategy to address
micronutrient deficiencies and improve public health”.
According to him, the bill would prohibit the production,
importation, distribution and sale of unfortified and unbranded edible oils,
while also mandating collaboration among research institutes, universities and
state ministries to improve seedlings and establish cooking oil processing
mills through public-private partnerships.
He added that the legislation also proposed penalties,
including imprisonment for offenders, as well as a transition period for
existing businesses to comply.
“This is a matter of life and death. It is a call to protect
the health of Nigerians,” the lawmaker said.
THE DEBATE
However, lawmakers across party lines opposed the proposed
legislation, insisting that existing regulatory agencies already possess the
legal powers to achieve its objectives.
Pascal Agbodike (Anambra) warned that the bill could
negatively affect rural livelihoods by preventing small-scale producers from
selling locally processed edible oils that are not formally registered.
Gaza Gbefwi (LP, Nasarawa) said the bill amounted to
legislative duplication.
“There is already an institution carrying out these
functions, which is NAFDAC. Creating another law would amount to
over-legislation. What we should be doing is strengthening our oversight of
NAFDAC to ensure it effectively enforces existing laws,” the legislator said.
He added that while NAFDAC has focused more attention on
regulating drugs, it should now place greater emphasis on food safety.
Ahmad Satomi (APC, Borno) aligned with Gbefwi’s position,
saying NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) already regulate
product quality and standards.
“Instead of creating another law, we should strengthen the
existing institutions and improve their monitoring and coordination of local
production,” he said.
Wale Raji (APC, Lagos) also cautioned against what he
described as the unnecessary proliferation of laws, urging the house to avoid
creating legislation where existing statutes could suffice.
Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau) said although the bill addressed
an important issue, its objectives fell squarely within NAFDAC’s existing
mandate.
“The bill is good, but instead of creating another law with
similar functions, we should harmonise its provisions by amending the existing
legislation,” he said.
Akeem Adeyemi, a lawmaker from Oyo, also opposed the
proposal, describing it as an “unnecessary duplication” of NAFDAC’s statutory
functions.
“If we continue this way, tomorrow someone will bring a bill
on unbranded garri, then another on unbranded wheat. If there are deficiencies
in the NAFDAC Act, then let us amend that law instead,” Adeyemi said.
Ibe Osonwa, a legislator from Abia, warned that the proposed
legislation, particularly section 2, could criminalise the activities of
small-scale palm oil producers in rural communities.
He said many of his constituents depend on local palm kernel
processing for their livelihoods and will lose their means of income if the
bill becomes law.
“This would prohibit my people from earning a living at this
difficult time,” he said.
But defending the bill, Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) noted that
the bill was not intended to establish a new regulatory agency or undermine
NAFDAC functions.
He said rather, it sought to strengthen the existing legal
framework by addressing identified gaps.
“It is not creating another agency. It is simply improving
the existing framework,” he said.
He also dismissed concerns that the bill targeted local palm
oil producers, saying its objective was to improve food quality, public health
standards and production practices.
Following the debate, Okafor acknowledged the concerns
raised by lawmakers and asked the house to step down the bill for further
review.
“I can see the concerns and the emotions. I therefore seek
to step down the bill so that we can properly align it with the functions of
NAFDAC and, where necessary, amend the NAFDAC Act to accommodate these
objectives,” he said.
Consequently, Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker who presided
over plenary, stepped down the bill.
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