The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced its intention to review sanctions for exporters of substandard products, News About Nigeria reports.
Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, made this announcement during a news conference, expressing concern about the increasing rejection of substandard goods by foreign countries.
Adeyeye revealed that NAFDAC had identified several reasons behind the rejection of these products, including non-compliance with advisory guidelines established by NAFDAC to promote participatory exports.
She highlighted the fact that many exported food products undergo processing without mandatory testing by NAFDAC, and some goods are exported without NAFDAC’s quality control and safety tests, leading to their rejection.
Other reasons for these rejections include the non-utilisation of previously free laboratory testing by NAFDAC for export samples and the involvement of unscrupulous agents.
Furthermore, the exclusion of NAFDAC’s requirements in the mandatory pre-shipment inspection as administered by the Federal Government-appointed Pre-shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs) under the National Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) was identified as a challenge.
Adeyeye also noted that some exporters show reluctance in complying with minimal sanitary and phytosanitary measures required for exports to countries with stringent market access.
Poor packaging practices by some manufacturers, disregard for the importation requirements of trading partner countries, and a preference for sourcing from open markets without any safety or quality specifications were among the issues raised.
In response to these challenges, NAFDAC is introducing six regulatory measures to address the situation, based on the outcome of a recent meeting with the UK Food Standard Agency (FSA).
These measures include the immediate inclusion and implementation of NAFDAC Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygienic Practices (GHP), and laboratory testing for regulated food and drug products.
Additionally, the National Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) will be applied to some products, administered by the Federal Government-appointed Pre-shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs).
Adeyeye emphasised the inclusion of NAFDAC in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) export proceed (NXP) form processing and engagement with the Comptroller General of Customs, the new administrator of the Nigeria Single Window Trade portal.
To strengthen in-country regulatory infrastructures for exports, NAFDAC will introduce the NAFDAC Regulations on Export 2022, which is currently open for input and comments from exporters, trade associations, and professional bodies.
Collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) on goods regulation is also part of NAFDAC’s plan to address these challenges comprehensively.
