Writing By Teddy Daniel; Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s agricultural export sector have been urged to understand international market standards and follow proper certification processes to enable their products compete globally.
The Director, North West Zonal Office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, Mr. Dadi Nantim Mullah, made the call during a virtual training on the ‘Training Module on Processing Export Applications for Stakeholders and NAFDAC Officers in the Zones and States of the Federation ‘held today.
Addressing participants drawn from farmers’ associations, processors, exporters, cooperative societies and NAFDAC officers across the federation, the director said Nigeria’s North West region possesses enormous agricultural potential but continues to lose export value due to limited knowledge of international regulatory requirements.
“The North West Zone is one of the most agriculturally endowed regions on the African continent, yet our products are not earning the foreign exchange their value justifies because many producers lack the knowledge and regulatory support needed to meet international export standards,” he said.
He explained that commodities such as sesame seeds, ginger, onions and grains produced in states including Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara already have strong demand in global markets but are often sold cheaply to middlemen.
According to him, the training was organised to close the knowledge gap among farmers, processors and exporters on export documentation, quality standards and regulatory procedures.
“Many producers do not understand what international buyers require in terms of quality parameters, pesticide residue limits, moisture content and documentation such as certificates of analysis and NAFDAC export certification,” he added
The director also clarified that the agency’s role goes beyond regulation to facilitating trade and guiding producers through the export process by ensuring that products exported to the world are safe, properly processed, correctly labelled and globally acceptable,
He urged the participants to take advantage of NAFDAC export desks located across the North West zone for guidance before submitting applications to reduce rejection rates and delays.
The director also disclosed that herbal product registration is handled by the Drug Evaluation and Research Directorate in Lagos, while initial documentation can be processed at state offices within the zone.
“As of today, we already have eleven applications for herbal products undergoing local registration in the North West Zone, and anyone interested can visit any of our state offices to begin the process,” he concluded.
A participant from Kaduna State, Maryam Zakaria, who deals in Tea and Herbal products, expressed appreciation for the sensitisation programme which she said has brought more clarity
“We are happy for this training because many of us did not know how to standardise our products to meet NAFDAC requirements, but the director has always taken time to explain the process and guide businesses like ours,” she explained in Hausa language.
The training which was organised by NAFDAC’s Ports Inspection Directorate had in virtual attendance over ninety participants.
