Ondo Methanol Deaths: Questions Over Regulatory Accountability

The recent methanol poisoning outbreak in Ondo has reignited discussions over the effectiveness of regulatory enforcement, 11 years after a similar tragedy struck the Irele and Odigbo areas. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) confirmed 48 deaths and 182 cases related to locally prepared alcoholic and herbal concoctions, with five victims becoming totally blind and two others partially blind after consumption.

Laboratory analysis revealed high methanol concentrations in 15 samples, and 15 people were arrested for producing, distributing, and selling the suspected toxic products. While further investigations are ongoing, the incident has sparked questions about whether previous outbreaks have led to adequate regulatory action. In 2015, a methanol poisoning outbreak in the same region resulted in 37 cases and 27 deaths, linked to locally brewed gin and methanol-contaminated samples.

Despite this evidence, authorities were called to act 11 years later. NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye has faced criticism over the agency's capacity, laboratory equipment, and IT system, which were deemed severely neglected when she took office in 2017. The latest Ondo outbreak has reignited debates about product safety, enforcement, and consumer protection, with Nigerians sharing concerns about counterfeit or adulterated products.

Meanwhile, the federal government estimates that about 40% of spirits and wines in Nigeria are illicit or unrecorded, highlighting the challenges in controlling dangerous substances. The tragedy has once again prompted calls for stronger enforcement, better coordination among agencies, and implementation of measures learned from past outbreaks to protect Nigerians from hazardous products.