NAFDAC seeks cooperation of stakeholders to stop rejection of food exports

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Lagos, Sept. 6, 2023, The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is bringing all stakeholders in export trade at the nation’s ports to align with the appropriate electronic channel to obtain export certification.

NAFDAC said that the gesture was to put an end to rejection of food exports from Nigeria in Europe and the U.S.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director-General, has implored clearing agents to educate exporters, cargo operators and handlers on the need to align with the guidelines put in place by NAFDAC and appropriate regulatory channels for export certification.

Speaking at a meeting with the critical trade groups at the ports, the NAFDAC boss, Adeyeye, said this would help to put a stop to rejection of food exports from Nigeria with the attendant embarrassment to the country and the huge losses incurred by exporters

The meeting with the critical trade groups at the ports, with the theme: The role of Freight Consolidator in the Export of NAFDAC Regulated Products” was held at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos,

Adeyeye said that NAFDAC, as one of the key drivers of this initiative, had stepped up its processes and procedures to ensure that all NAFDAC regulated products for export met the required standard at national and international markets.

She said that this was being done through an improved process of Documentation, Laboratory analysis, Inspection, Registration and Certification before they are exported.

The meeting with freight forwarders, freight consolidators, and clearing agents Freight Consolidators in export business was a follow up to the one the agency had had with pre-shipment agents a month ago.

The NAFDAC director general, who was represented by the Head, Export Division, Ports Inspection Directorate of NAFDAC, Mrs. Oluwaseyi Sanwo-olu, called for effective collaboration with the regulatory authority to complement its robust regulatory policies geared toward understanding the NAFDAC export processes.

 ‘’The main objective is collaboration to safeguard a unified exportation procedure and zero rejects of Nigeria export products’’.

She said the policy of the agency was geared toward protection of consumers and promoting public health, by ensuring that regulated products were of good quality, safe, efficacious, wholesome, and accepted in the global market.

‘’We recognize and appreciate the role of each of the export facilitation stakeholders namely: (Consolidators, freight forwarders, clearing agents, members of the Association of Nigeria Customs Licensed Agents, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Association of Nigeria licensed custom Agent (ANCLA), The National Association of Freight Forwarders and Air Consolidators (NAFFAC) etc.) here represented today as main actors in the export chain”.

She said the collaboration of the port operators with the agency would help make the trade of the non-oil sector better, more robust, and more consultative.

According to the NAFDAC boss, the following are the Agency’s expectations from Consolidators of its regulated products.

  • Freight Consolidators should be well informed on the nature of the products they are handling and how to keep the product’s integrity intact.
  • Guide their clients (exporters) to always factor in, time for processing of export certification in their timeline before planning the next exportation.
  • Comply with documentation requirements for NAFDAC regulated products before shipment.
  • Have a requisite understanding of quality, safety and standards of regulated product or consignment they are handling.
  • A good understanding of proper handling, use of approved packaging material, group-packaging of like products.
  • Understand the implication of forwarding and exporting products without recourse to NAFDAC processes and procedures.

She said they must always avoid cross-contamination of products (e.g., food products, cosmetics, chemicals), stressing that cool temperature that does not allow microbes to grow must be maintained.

Adeyeye also urged them to use quality finished and raw material, adding that they should also ensure that personnel handling processes were medically fit to avoid contamination.

She said the agency was sensitive to the peculiarity of export consignment at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport and was willing to guide erring exporters as well as streamline export requirements for such consignments

Adeyeye said the reason for relocating the Export Division of PID in NAFDAC to the newly built NAFDAC’s NAHCO at MMIA for easy accessibility to exporters of such consignments. (GBN)

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