NAFDAC DG laments poor packaging of Nigerian products
BY CHIOMA OBINNA
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has blamed poor packaging and ignorance of requirement of export goods by Nigerian exporters for the rejection of semi-finished products from Nigeria in international market.
Director-General of the Agency, Dr. Paul Orhii, who spoke in Lagos at a stakeholders sensitisation workshop for exporters of NAFDAC regulated, processed and semi – processed agricultural products in regretted that it is ironical in this age of information technology that most Nigerian exporters in the Small and Medium Scale (SME) category, lacked access to necessary information and other global interactive networking tools that will otherwise position them at advantage in the ever-competitive global market.
Orhii noted that regulated products from Nigeria have great potentials in international market only when strategically positioned.
Noting that quality is the bottom- line in the international market, he said rejection of food commodities of Nigerian origin on the grounds poor quality and packaging, and manifest display of ignorance of requirements is embarrassing and creates disincentive avenue for continued trade relations.
He expressed concern over challenges faced by exporters adding that the Agency is ready to collaborate with interested stakeholders in areas of capacity building and technical assistance to remedy the problem.
Measures put in place by the Agency to ensure global best practices include; waiver of tariffs and charges for laboratory analysis and certification processes, issuance of certificate of manufacture and free scale within 48 hours, issuance of export approvals within 24 hours amongst others.
Representative of the DG, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), John Salihu Sulle, urged exporters to look beyond standards operating in Nigeria, while Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Arm of Export Promotion Group, Mr. Romeo Barberopoulous, identified exporters as very important to the development of the economy.
