The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced plans to review its sanctions on exporters of substandard products. This comes as the agency expresses concern over the increasing rate at which substandard goods are being rejected by foreign countries.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, highlighted some of the reasons contributing to this issue. These include non-compliance with advisory guidelines established by NAFDAC to promote participatory exports.
Prof Adeyeye emphasized that almost all exported food products undergo processing without the mandatory testing by NAFDAC. As a result, many of these goods fail to meet NAFDAC’s quality control and safety standards, leading to their rejection abroad.
Additionally, the agency identified other factors such as the exclusion of NAFDAC’s requirements in the pre-shipment inspection process administered by the Federal Government-appointed Pre-shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs). Unscrupulous agents and poor packaging practices were also pinpointed as contributing factors.
Prof Adeyeye further highlighted exporters’ unwillingness to adhere to minimal sanitary and phytosanitary measures required by countries with stringent market access. She also mentioned the disregard for importation requirements imposed by trading partner countries.
Following a recent meeting with the UK Food Standard Agency (FSA), NAFDAC has devised six regulatory measures to tackle these challenges. Immediate action includes the implementation of NAFDAC Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygienic Practices (GHP), and laboratory testing for regulated food and drug products, such as mycotoxin, pesticide residue, and heavy metals certification. The agency will also conduct the National Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) on selected products through the PIAs.
Other measures will involve the inclusion of NAFDAC in the Central Bank of Nigeria’s export proceed (NXP) form processing and engagement with the Comptroller General of Customs, who is the new administrator of the Nigeria Single Window Trade portal. NAFDAC also plans to strengthen in-country regulatory infrastructures on export by introducing the NAFDAC Regulations on Export 2022.
Prof Adeyeye revealed that the draft regulation has been published on NAFDAC’s website, and exporters, trade associations, and professional bodies have been invited to provide their inputs and comments within the next 60 days, starting from October 11.
The agency will also collaborate with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to enhance the regulation of goods. Furthermore, NAFDAC will continue conducting awareness and sensitization meetings with export trade operators to educate them on the guidelines for regulated products.
NAFDAC is determined to prevent the exportation of substandard products and protect Nigeria’s reputation in the international market. The agency believes that by imposing stricter sanctions and implementing robust regulatory measures, Nigeria can improve its export quality, ensuring safe and compliant products for consumers worldwide.
