The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kano State Command, has warned unauthorised fertilizer blending plants and local blenders against the production, distribution and sale of fertilizer products without valid trademarks, logos and registration from relevant government authorities.
The State Commandant, Command Mohammed Hassan Agalama, issued the warning while reaffirming the Corps’ commitment to protecting farmers and ensuring that only safe, quality and properly regulated agricultural inputs reach the farming community.
A statement signed by the Command’s spokesperson, SC Ibrahim Idris Abdullahi, said the command was concerned about reports of some local blenders allegedly producing and marketing fertilizers that fail to meet required standards and regulatory requirements.
According to the statement, such activities expose farmers to substandard, low-quality and potentially harmful agricultural products, with possible consequences for agricultural productivity and public safety.
Agalama also stressed that the production, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of granular ammonium sulphate, (NH₄)₂SO₄, remains banned.
He warned that any individual, dealer, company or organisation found engaging in the handling or sale of the banned material would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The commandant explained that the NSCDC, through its Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Explosives (CBRNE) Response Unit, has the mandate to monitor and regulate activities involving chemicals and other materials of security concern.
He directed unauthorised fertilizer blenders to immediately desist from producing or selling fertilizer products without the required registration, certification, trademarks and approvals from relevant government ministries and regulatory agencies.
Agalama clarified that the warning was not intended to discourage legitimate agricultural businesses, but to ensure that fertilizer manufacturers and dealers operate within the law and provide farmers with genuine, quality and properly regulated products.
He called on farmers, fertilizer dealers and members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious fertilizer production, storage or sales activities to the nearest NSCDC formation.
The Kano State Command, he assured, would continue to collaborate with relevant ministries, regulatory agencies and other stakeholders to safeguard the agricultural sector and protect farmers from fake, adulterated, substandard and unapproved fertilizer products.
