Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), bemoaned Tuesday that over 70% of food exports from Nigeria are rejected abroad, resulting in significant financial losses for exporters and the nation.
Adeyeye, however, asserted that if collaboration between the agency and other government agencies at ports is increased, the rejection in some European nations and the United States of America may soon become a thing of the past.
The remark was made over the weekend at the official opening of the new NAFDAC office complex for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport/Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, Lagos, according to a statement signed by Sayo Akintola, the organization’s resident media consultant.
The appalling state of export trade facilitation for regulated goods leaving the country, according to Adeyeye, has continued to be a major source of worry for her organization. She added that a visit to the NAFDAC export warehouses located inside the international airport would clarify the main cause for the continued rejection of Nigerian exports abroad.
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She stated that in order to ensure that the items are of the necessary quality and satisfy the regulatory criteria of the importing countries and destinations, the agency has started a joint endeavor with government agencies at the ports in response to the difficulty.
She claims that in order to ensure quality assurance and reduce rejects, there is a greater need for enhanced regulation of export packaging, pre-shipment testing, and certification.
To save Nigeria’s reputation in international commerce, Adeyeye called on all stakeholders in export trade to see this as a call to duty and collaborate with NAFDAC.
Source: guardian.ng