In a renewed push to protect public health and promote food safety, lawmakers in the Oyo State House of Assembly have called on the state government to put an end to the common practice of drying cassava flour on roadsides.
The motion, jointly sponsored by Hon. Olalekan Abiola (Akinyele I) and Hon. Olatunde Kehinde (Akinyele II), urged the Executive Arm of Government to take proactive measures through the relevant ministries to curb the unhygienic method.
Cassava flour popularly known as lafun or elubo remains a staple food and source of livelihood for thousands of rural and semi-urban dwellers across the state. However, many processors, lacking modern drying facilities, spread the flour on tarred roads and road shoulders to sun-dry it.
Lawmakers warned that the practice exposes the flour to serious contamination from dust, engine oil, heavy metals, animal droppings, and harmful microbes, making it unsafe for human consumption.
They further cautioned that roadside drying could attract rodents such as the mastomys rat, known to carry the Lassa fever virus, thereby heightening public health risks.
Beyond health concerns, the Assembly noted that spreading cassava flour on roads also poses environmental and safety dangers from reducing visibility for motorists to making roads slippery and obstructing traffic.
“This unhealthy method not only endangers lives but also tarnishes the image of our state,” the motion stated.
The lawmakers compared the situation to global best practices, noting that many countries have already banned roadside food drying and adopted enclosed mechanical and solar drying systems. They lamented that Oyo State still lacks modern cassava drying infrastructure.
The motion therefore urged the state government to act swiftly through the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Environment and Natural Resources, and Health.
Key recommendations include building cassava drying platforms in rural communities, deploying Agricultural Extension Officers under the Oyo State Agribusiness Agency to train farmers on hygienic drying methods and partnering with cooperatives, NGOs, and development partners to promote affordable solar and raised drying technologies.
“We must prioritize the health of our citizens and the integrity of our food supply chain. This motion is a step towards modernizing cassava processing and protecting our communities,” the sponsors emphasized.
Following deliberations, the House Committee on Food and Nutrition was directed to collaborate with the relevant ministries to develop a regulatory framework that will monitor cassava processing activities in the state.
Meanwhile, the speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, commended the motion, describing it as “timely and impactful.” He recalled that a similar motion had been raised during the 9th Assembly but without decisive action.
Ogundoyin stressed that while the practice of roadside drying may have arisen out of necessity, it poses undeniable health and safety risks.
He therefore urged the committee to work closely with stakeholders to design enforceable guidelines that would ensure safe and hygienic cassava processing across Oyo State.
Leave a Reply