68 Nigerian exports products rejected in Europe — NAFDAC DG
By Matthew Denis
The Director-General, NAFDAC Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye has revealed that a total of 68 Nigerian exports products have been rejected by European countries due to their poor quality and proper documentation.
She made the disclosure while briefing journalists on Tuesday on the agency’s proactive efforts to checkmate exporting commodities and ensure that they meet international standards.
The DG said “after a scheduled side event with the UK Food Standard Agency (FSA) during the recently concluded workshop on Nigeria-UK Enhanced Trade & Investment Partnership (ETIP) held in London. The meeting was hosted under the UK-Developing Country Trading Scheme (UK-DCTS) with the Nigerian delegation led by Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment (FMITI) on the unabated incidences of reject of Nigerian food products exported to the United Kingdom, non-notifications on such rejects and non-engagement of NAFDAC on the matter and the need for mutual recognition of electronic certification of both government agencies of export certification, among others.”
Prof. Adeyeye said, “this is another step-in addition to other steps already taken toward changing the status and narrative of Nigerian food products in the international market. Bringing into focus the export oversight functions of the agency by the establishment of office of Trade & International Relations in her office about two years ago.
“Engagement with other Chief Executives of trade facilitation-related MDAs at round-table conferences in respect of streamlining Nigerian export.
“Advocacy visits and engagements with representatives of trading partners in Nigeria such as EU Delegation to Nigeria, Indonesia, China, Denmark, Hungary, etc., and development partners such as FAO, GIZ,.
“Forming part of Nigerian trade delegations to key and strategic trading partners and engaging with the Trade Departments of the Nigerian Embassy, Nigerian High Commission to the UK.”
The DG stressed that in strengthening the regulatory framework on export within the Agency, the challenge bedeviling the export process of NAFDAC regulated products especially, assuring safety and quality status of food exports in Nigeria has been traced to 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.
“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 and Penchant for sourcing from open markets for exports without any form of minimal safety or quality specifications.”
The NAFDAC Boss emphasised that to ratify all these and as an outcome of NAFDAC recent meeting with FSA, the agency is commencing on six regulatory-measure approaches to address the situation: “Immediate inclusion and implementation, as a matter of urgency, of NAFDAC Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygienic Practices (GHP) and Laboratory testings (e.g., mycotoxin, pesticide residue, and heavy metals) 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).
“Inclusion of NAFDAC in the CBN Export Proceed (NXP) form processing. I am engaging very soon with the Comptroller General of Customs as the new administrator of the Nigeria Single Window Trade portal to facilitate this.I had earlier engaged with CBN (Trade and Exchange Division) and Federal Ministry of Finance (Home Finance) on this same matter.
“Strengthening in-country regulatory infrastructures on export such as listed below: Development and introduction of NAFDAC Regulations on Export 2022. The regulation is already hosted on NAFDAC website with e-copy sent to exporters, trade associations and professional bodies for their inputs and comments within the next 60 days that started from 11th October 2023.
“Registration by NAFDAC of all exporters of its Regulated Products. This is in addition to the general registration by Nigerian Exports Promotion Council (NEPC).the agency continuation of its Awareness and Sensitization meetings with the export trade operators on its reviewed guidelines on export of NAFDAC regulated products. This is also on NAFDAC website for compliance.
“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.
“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%.In the interim, I implore all Nigerian exporters trading in NAFDAC regulated products to obtain necessary certifications for processing of their products.”
