The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has joined forces with the Nigeria Export Promotion Council and other stakeholders to combat the rejection of Nigerian exports overseas. This collaboration was highlighted during a national workshop for stakeholders in Lagos, focused on the sustainable export of NAFDAC-regulated products.
At the workshop titled “Achieving Sustainable Export of Regulated Products: The Imperatives,” NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, emphasized the agency’s partnership with key bodies including the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services, and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Trade & Exchange Department. This partnership aims to address the challenges faced by Nigerian exports.
Prof. Adeyeye attributed the frequent rejection of Nigerian exports to ignorance of importing countries’ regulatory requirements and the practice of sourcing products from open markets without ensuring intrinsic quality. She criticized those who undermine national interests through practices such as adulterating goods for weight gain, calling them deliberate and myopic.
The issue of export rejection has been significant, as noted by the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. She recently highlighted that Nigeria has lost its leading position in agricultural export markets due to its failure to meet international sanitary and phytosanitary standards.
