Ten years after the European Union placed a ban on Nigeria’s bean exports due to excessive chemical residues, farmers under the Cowpea and Beans Farmers, Processors, and Marketers Association of Nigeria (C&BFPMAN) say they are now committed to using organic preservation methods to reverse the ban.
According to national export records, more than 76 per cent of Nigeria’s agricultural shipments are rejected by the EU on safety grounds. For beans alone, the nation loses an estimated $362.5 million annually due to contamination from harmful pesticides.
Speaking with Vanguard, the National Secretary of C&BFPMAN, Sunday Ojonugwa, described the ban as a major setback that still affects both farmers and exporters. He attributed the problem to ignorance, explaining that some farmers had preserved beans using hazardous chemicals, including the pesticide popularly known as sniper.
Ojonugwa revealed that, in response to the contamination concerns raised by international regulators, the association has trained more than 29,000 cowpea and beans farmers on safer cultivation and preservation techniques.
Nigeria’s Beans Production
He explained that Nigeria currently produces about 12 million metric tonnes of cowpeas and beans annually—a staple consumed nationwide and, until the ban, exported to several countries.
Why the EU Ban Happened
Ojonugwa noted that Nigeria had been one of the world’s leading producers of beans until 2015, when both the EU and the United States restricted imports due to the presence of dangerous chemical residues.
He acknowledged that some of these impurities came from Nigerian farmers, many of whom preserved harvested beans with toxic substances to prevent pest attacks. “There are safer organic alternatives,” he said, “but many farmers simply lacked the knowledge.”
Organic Preservation Methods
He highlighted several inexpensive organic methods now being promoted among farmers. One example is using dogoyaro (neem) leaves soaked in water and applied at the farm level to repel weevils. He also mentioned the use of organic herbicides, organic fertilizers, and natural enzymes that protect cowpea farms from insects without contaminating the final produce.
Improving Farmer Capacity
According to Ojonugwa, large-scale capacity-building efforts are underway to transform Nigeria’s beans production methods. He said the World Trade Organization, through support linked to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has mobilised grants to support farmer training on integrated pest management.
The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) is also working with the association to help lift the export ban. Training programmes began three months ago in Lagos and are scheduled to run from 2024 to 2029. National officers have already received training and are expected to extend it to state-level farmers.
“Our target is to train 29,000 farmers across the country,” he said. “Awareness is growing, and soon it will no longer be business as usual. Farmers will understand that their products must be safe for consumption locally and internationally.”
Increasing Production Beyond 12 Million Metric Tonnes
Ojonugwa added that production is expected to rise this year, as more farmers have cultivated beans and are adopting improved practices aimed at increasing yields.
Call for Beans in the School Feeding Programme
He also raised concerns about the exclusion of beans from the Federal Government’s school-feeding programme. He urged authorities to revisit the menu, arguing that beans remain a crucial source of plant protein for school-aged children, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and students in unity schools.
Describing beans and rice as a “natural partnership,” he urged the government to recognise the nutritional and economic value of cowpeas and support farmers accordingly.