
by Nedu Okorie
Sellers and producers of palm oil have been urged to imbibe proper production and processing procedures in order to ensure a healthy living.
This was made known on Wednesday, 18 December, 2024, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at a campaign against production of adulterated palm oil organised by Mrs. Safiyat Saheed Bello, the founder of Quad K Industrial Services Ltd. in partnership with the Young Africa Leadership Initiative (YALI) Regional Leaders Centre West Africa.
Mrs. Bello who highlighted the economic and health importance of genuine palm oil production disclosed that many palm oil producers in Nigeria engage in harmful production practice by adding harmful chemical substances such as Sudan IV, to the residue obtained from processing palm oil.

“We are here to educate the sellers of palm oil on the harmful effects of adding Sudan IV chemical. It is a chemical that serves as a slow poison to the human body. Most people are not aware of this. This chemical is very dangerous and cancerous to the body. ” Said Mrs. Bello.
On the sidelines of advocating for proper production and processing of genuine palm oil, Mrs. Bello through the Quad K Entrepreneurship Forum organised an entrepreneurship training on how to transform palm oil residue to domestic soaps, rather than debasing it with Sudan IV so as to give it a red colouration.
“We’re also going to be training the participants on how to turn adulterated palm oil wastes into soap, as it can serve as an alternative revenue stream. This will solve the problems of contacting strange ailments and diseases.” Said Mrs. Bello.

While appreciating the conveners of the insightful economic initiative, the Ago market women leader, Alhaja Nafiat Adio, pleaded with the state government to assist the palm oil sellers at the Ago market in provision of funds to expand and foster the effective distribution of clean and healthy palm oil.
Alhaja Adio said; “The initiative is an impressive one. Because we are disciplined at the Ago market, we do not add colouring agents while processing palm oil. We are a united front and we normally implore our members to desist from adding the Sudan IV chemical to palm oil, because this act might make even members of our family get affected by consuming such adulterated products.”
“We are also pleading with the state government to extend the dividends of democracy towards us, the palm oil sellers at Ago-Oja Oba market. We need a huge capital base.”
Meanwhile other stake holders present at the enlightenment and training programme include; Mr. AbdulRahman Ahmed, Chairman, Palm oil Sellers Association, Ago; Mr. Salami Aliyu, the Secretary, Palm oil Sellers Association, Ago.