Daily Post reports that health professionals are warning against the practice of drying staple foods such as cassava, maize, and beans along major highways in Nigeria.
Experts say roadside drying exposes food to contaminants including heavy metals from vehicle exhaust and dust-borne pathogens, with toxins settling directly on food as passing traffic raises dust clouds.
Vanguard and The Guardian also echoed concerns, including links to gastrointestinal infections and broader food-safety risks tied to limited access to modern processing facilities.
Echotitbits take: This is an infrastructure-and-public-health gap showing up in everyday food handling. Without affordable community dryers, solar kilns, and hygienic aggregation points, the practice will persist. A practical fix is local processing hubs near farming clusters, backed by microcredit and enforceable food-safety standards.
Source: Daily Post – https://dailypost.ng/2026/01/30/dust-on-meal-tables-experts-reveal-hidden-dangers-of-nigerias-roadside-drying-culture/ 2026-01-30
Photo Credit: Daily Post
