By Hassan Zaggi
Concerned by the rate at which export products from Nigeria to other countries are rejected leading to the loss of billions of naira, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has advised all exporters to a!ways involve the agency in their export processes.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed that her agency has mapped out urgent measures to halt the situation.
One of the measures, according to her, is the immediate and urgent inclusion and implementation of NAFDAC Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygienic Practices (GHP) and Laboratory testings certification for the regulated products – food, drug, and others by the National Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) as administered by the FGN appointed Pre-shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs).
Others include the inclusion of NAFDAC in the CBN Export Proceed (NXP) form processing; strengthening in-country regulatory infrastructures on export; closer working relationship with NAFDAC’s sister Agencies, and major trading partners on safety and quality of Nigerian exports, starting with UK and EU; evidence-based national monitoring of Pesticide Residues as part of continuous engagement with the UK FSA, and as a road map for the lifting of the ban on dried beans by first quarter of 2024 and continuous engagements, internally with CBN, FMOF, NCS, NAQS and, externally with European Union (EU). This had started yielding positive results with EU reduction of Nigeria melon inspection from 100% to 50%.
She, therefore reiterated her call for all Nigerian exporters trading in NAFDAC regulated products to obtain necessary certifications for processing of their products.
Prof. Adeyeye further lamented that many challenges are bedevilling the export process of NAFDAC regulated products especially, assuring safety and quality status of food exports in Nigeria.
Some of the challenges, according to her, include non-compliance with advisory guidelines established by NAFDAC to encourage participatory exports. Almost all exported food products are processed without the statutory testing by NAFDAC.
“Therefore, it is not surprising that all the items exported without NAFDAC quality control and safety tests are rejected.
“Non-utilization of hitherto free laboratory testing by NAFDAC for export samples coupled with the connivance of unscrupulous agents.
“Exclusion of NAFDAC’s requirements for its regulated products in the mandatory pre-shipment inspection in the National Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) as administered by the FGN appointed Pre-shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs).
“Unwillingness of exporters to comply with minimal sanitary and phytosanitary measures required for exports to countries with stringent market access.
“Poor packaging, disregard for importation requirements of trading partners countries; penchant for sourcing from open markets for exports without any form of minimal safety or quality specifications; unwillingness to invest in pre-export activities that help to ensure sustainable export and disinformation on the roles of NAFDAC in the pre-shipment inspection and verification exercise of container stuffing.”
