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Food and agriculture remain among the most discussed topics in Nigeria, encompassing everything from daily meals to national food security. Because these subjects are central to people’s lives, misinformation about them spreads quickly across social media.
Every week, posts circulate claiming unusual health effects of foods, misrepresenting government policies, or sharing misleading videos related to food and agriculture. Despite the ongoing efforts of fact-checkers to maintain the integrity of the digital information space, the heavy reliance on social media makes citizens especially vulnerable to misleading or outright false claims about agriculture and food.
In line with DUBAWA’s mission to promote accurate and reliable public information, we investigated several of these viral claims. Below are some of the most widely shared and misleading food and agriculture claims we fact-checked this year.
- FG confirmed outbreak of swarm birds, locusts in Lagos State
A widely shared social media post claimed that the Federal Government had confirmed an outbreak of swarms of birds and locusts in Lagos State, sparking fears of a significant agricultural threat.
However, DUBAWA’s findings showed that no such confirmation exists. There is no official statement from the Ministry of Agriculture or the Lagos State authorities validating the claim.
The viral report was traced to an old and unrelated news headline that referenced locust outbreaks in other states but not in Lagos.
Read more here.
- An American passport is needed to buy food or drugs in the U.S.
Another food and agriculture claim DUBAWA investigated was a social media post alleging that people in the United States must present an American passport to buy food or medication.
However, the findings showed no evidence of such a policy existing anywhere in the US. The claim is entirely false. Buying food or medicine in the US does not require showing a passport, regardless of whether you are a citizen, resident, or visitor.
US regulations do not mandate passport identification for basic purchases, and neither government agencies nor reputable news outlets have reported any policy change of this nature.
Read more here.
- Eating garri, fufu, and other fermented foods amounts to taking alcohol
A X user claimed that consuming fermented foods such as garri, fufu, ogi, and similar staples is equivalent to taking alcohol because these foods go through fermentation before consumption.
However, research shows that although fermentation can produce small amounts of ethanol, the final foods people eat contain either no alcohol or only trace quantities far too insignificant to have any effect on the body.
Studies have also clarified that fermented foods do not function like alcoholic drinks and cannot intoxicate or violate dietary or religious restrictions. The idea that eating garri or fufu is the same as consuming alcohol is misleading and not supported by science.
Read more here.
- The Ministry of Agriculture’s draft 2026 budget is 13 million dollars
In November 2025, Daniel Sando, the Deputy Minister for Press and Public Affairs of the Ministry of Information, claimed that the Ministry of Agriculture’s allocation in the 2026 draft budget was 13 million dollars.
However, findings show that this claim is false. The 2026 draft national budget published by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) reveals that the Ministry of Agriculture is allocated $9.5 million, not $13 million.
The $13.6 million figure represents the total allocation for the entire agriculture sector, which includes other institutions such as the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI).
Read more here.
- Viral video of a helicopter carrying food to terrorists in Nigeria
An X user posted a video alleging that the Nigerian government sent a helicopter to deliver food and ammunition to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji and his colleagues.
However, DUBAWA’s verification shows the claim is false. A reverse image search revealed that the footage is from 2021 and not recent. Further findings confirmed that the video was filmed in another country, not in Nigeria.
No credible media report or official statement supports the claim, and there is no evidence linking the footage to any recent events in Nigeria. Read more here.
