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Claim: A video trending on WhatsApp showed some men from Northern Nigeria pouring “cement” onto sun-dried beans for preservation.
Verdict: MISLEADING. DUBAWA’s findings revealed that the white substance is calcium carbonate, not cement, as claimed. However, the filler used in the video is also harmful for consumption.
Full Text
The price of beans surged excessively in 2024, making the once-affordable food staple unobtainable for Nigerians. Despite the recent drop in price, purchasing beans is still beyond the financial capacity of more than 129 million Nigerian citizens who live in poverty. As of 2024, data from the World Bank revealed that 56 per cent of Nigerians live below the poverty line of $2.15 per day.
Many factors contributed to the staple’s cost surge, revealing the dire situation facing the country’s food security status. The Cowpeas Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN) said that the drop in bean production, herders’ invasion of farmlands, and exportation to neighbouring countries following naira devaluation forced the price surge of beans and other staples.
A 58-second video on WhatsApp showed some people spraying a white powder on beans spread across the floor. In the WhatsApp message that DUBAWA obtained, the caption reads, “Northern farmers using cement to preserve beans. Please parboil your beans twice before cooking.” WhatsApp indicated that the video has been forwarded many times.
The video has also gone viral on Facebook. Admin TV, a Facebook page, shared the video, which has since gathered 22 reactions, 11 comments, and 127 reshares as of Sept. 11, 2025. Ogbonnaya Sebastine, another Facebook user, had 15 responses and 30 comments after posting the video on Sept. 8, 2025. The post also appeared here, here, and here.
The virality of the claim and its implications on Nigeria’s food insecurity prompted DUBAWA to carry out the fact check.
Verification
Using InVid WeVerify, DUBAWA conducted a reverse image search on a video keyframe showing the label on the sack containing the white powder. We found a Facebook page, Calcium Carbonate Freedom Group Eastern Region, which sells calcium carbonate in Nigeria’s Southeastern region.
The page distributes kaolin, calcite, and calcium carbonate produced by Freedom Calcium Carbonate in Nigeria’s South East.
We observed that features of the sack in the viral video bore a striking resemblance to the sack used for the calcium carbonate produced by Freedom Group.
Though hard to detect, the sack had the number 55, and the logo is an oval around the word ‘Calco.’ The word ‘Freedom’ is written on the package’s side. DUBAWA observed that each of these features was on the calcium carbonate sack on the Facebook page.
We observed that the content sprayed on the beans spread on the ground was white.
Calcium carbonate is also white in colour.
Farmers primarily use calcium carbonate, also called agricultural lime, to improve soil quality and promote healthy crop growth. Its most common use is correcting soil acidity, which is crucial for making essential nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus available to plants. By neutralising the soil’s pH, calcium carbonate creates a better environment for plant roots to thrive.
Additionally, it serves as a valuable source of calcium, an essential nutrient for plant cell wall development and overall structural strength. Applying it can also improve soil structure, water retention, and drainage.
These improvements help create a more favourable environment for robust root growth and healthier plants. Calcium carbonate is also sometimes used as a supplement in animal feed to promote strong bones and eggshells.
However, the content used in the video is calcium carbonate filler, as seen on the sack’s label. Although calcium carbonate is used for agricultural purposes, the function of industrial-grade fillers is different.
The fillers are intended for paint and coatings, not to preserve beans, as seen in the video. The package’s label indicated that the powder is an industrial-grade filler, which does not meet the same purity standards as food-grade products. These materials can contain harmful impurities, such as heavy metals, which are unsuitable for human consumption.
Also, industrial fillers may have chemical coatings not approved for food use. Paint filler is made for a completely different purpose and is not subject to food safety regulations.
Consuming beans coated in this substance could pose a serious health risk. The most significant dangers include heavy metal poisoning, which can cause gastrointestinal issues, neurological problems, and organ damage.
Conclusion
The content used to preserve beans in the video is calcium carbonate filler, not cement as claimed. Although calcium carbonate is not harmful, the industrial-grade filler in the video is used in paints and coatings, which is hazardous for human consumption.
