The Hadejia Jama’are Rivers Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) has vowed to prosecute dealers of adulterated fertilisers, seeds, chemicals, and other agricultural inputs posing health risks to Nigerians.

The authority announced developmental action plans to revamp the irrigation scheme and expand land for farm production as part of measures to boost food security in Nigeria.

The Managing Director of HJRBDA, Rabi’u Suleman Bichi, gave a stern warning at a press conference in Kano.

Bichi expressed worries over the yearly loss of produce worth millions of naira in Kano, Jigawa, and Bauchi states during harvest due to adulterated farm inputs.

According to the MD, HJRBDA has activated the necessary mechanisms to detect and apprehend those behind poisonous inputs while challenging farmers and other stakeholders to report any suspicion to the authority and other regulators.

“My call on the general public is to be on the lookout and report anybody found selling adulterated farm inputs to NAFDAC, SON, and other relevant authorities. Such adulterated farm inputs have caused farmers to incur losses last season and have the potential to cause diseases like cancer in human health,” Bichi said.

To effectively coordinate these efforts, he said, the authority has established committees to that effect.

The committees, according to Bichi, would spearhead initiatives to strengthen food security, promote sustainable development, and improve the livelihoods of communities within the river basin.

“Our team is excited about the opportunities ahead and looks forward to collaborating with stakeholders to realise these goals,” he said.