NAFDAC RESTATES COMMITMENT TO BOOST EXPORT

DIRECTOR-GENERAL of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii, on Monday restated the agency's commitment to boost export of semi-processed and processed foods.

He told a one-day export stakeholders' sensitisation workshop in Lagos that the agency had developed a blueprint that would promote the export of some products.

Orhii said that the agency would provide technical assistance to exporters in a bid to make Nigeria a non-oil exporting nation.

'Nigeria's regulated products, food and agricultural commodities have great markets in the international market. But most Nigerian exporters do not have access to vital information and other global networking tools, as well as the need to meet with global market requirements,' he said.

The NAFDAC boss noted that some of Nigeria's food commodities were being rejected in international market for poor quality and packaging.

Orhii disclosed that the agency had introduced some measures, including waivers for tariffs and charges for laboratory analyses and certification of all regulated products for export.

Other measures are the issuance of certificate of manufacture and free sale for regulated products, inspection and sampling for laboratory, issuance of health certificates for processed and semi-processed products.

He expressed optimism that the measures would enable Nigerian exporters to overcome the problem of acceptability abroad.

He urged exporters to always visit the agency's office nearest to them or the website for necessary guidelines and technical assistance.