Osinbajo Reveals How Orange Juice Left Wife With Persistent Headaches

Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has recounted how his wife, Dolapo, developed persistent headaches despite drinking freshly squeezed orange juice as a healthier alternative to soft drinks.

Osinbajo shared the experience while raising concerns about unsafe chemicals used in farming, fruit preservation and artificial ripening.

He spoke at the Open Day for Gardeners’ Seminar in Lagos on August 28. The event formed part of the fifth edition of the Open Day for Gardeners.

Themed “Leaving the Earth Better Than We Found It”, the seminar took place at the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Victoria Island.

A video of Osinbajo’s remarks later appeared on his YouTube channel.

He said his wife had stopped drinking Coke, Fanta and other carbonated drinks many years ago. She instead developed a routine of taking a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice every day.

According to Osinbajo, the seemingly healthy habit changed when she began suffering unusual headaches.

“She just stopped completely many years ago. And she would look at my own Coke-drinking habits with a lot of disapproval,” he said.

Osinbajo said the family initially struggled to identify the cause of the headaches because they considered the orange juice harmless.

They examined the food and drinks she consumed but found nothing that could explain the problem.

The former vice-president said his wife eventually sent a batch of the freshly squeezed orange juice to a laboratory for analysis.

The laboratory result, he said, raised concern because it declared the drink unfit for human consumption.

Osinbajo did not disclose the specific substance the laboratory detected in the juice.

The experience, he said, prompted him to draw attention to the wider problem of chemical misuse in the food chain.

He alleged that some farmers use dangerous pesticides on fruits and vegetables. He also said some traders apply chemicals to produce to accelerate ripening or prolong shelf life.

Osinbajo specifically mentioned calcium carbide, which he said some people use to make fruits change colour and appear ripe within a short period.

He cited studies from different parts of Nigeria to illustrate the scale of the concern.

Osinbajo said a 2024 study in Ado-Ekiti found that 10 of 20 fruit sellers interviewed admitted using calcium carbide.

He also cited a study in Uyo which found that 25 per cent of fruit sellers surveyed acknowledged using the chemical.

In Lagos, he said, a 2023 survey examined 50 fruit and vegetable retailers. Twenty-two of them admitted using chemicals to preserve their produce.

Osinbajo also listed substances such as Sniper, DDT and brodifacoum among chemicals he said had featured in concerns over the preservation or treatment of food products.

He warned consumers against judging the safety of food solely by its appearance.

“The fact that fruit looks fresh doesn’t mean that it is safe,” he said.

He added that natural drinks could also become unsafe if harmful substances entered them between the farm and the consumer.

The former vice-president called for stronger regulation and effective enforcement of food safety standards.

He also urged authorities to educate farmers and traders about safer methods of preserving and ripening produce.

Consumers, he said, also have a role to play by asking questions, washing produce properly and reporting suspicious practices.

Osinbajo argued that government action alone would not solve the problem in a country as large as Nigeria.

He urged individuals and communities to become more active in identifying and reporting unsafe practices.

“Government regulation needs to be enforced, but in a country this size, we have to be active ourselves,” he said.

He said sustained public awareness and community action could help reduce dangerous practices and improve food safety across the country.