EU rejects over 76% of agricultural commodities from Nigeria

The European Union has been rejecting over 76% of agricultural commodities from Nigeria. Director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye said the products are not meeting required standards

Mrs Adeyeye lamented that aside from the money lost, protecting the image of the country is extremely important.

“We’ve got to work hard to show that we love this country to the extent that we will not bring disgrace to the country from outside. When somebody exports an agricultural product, saves money, gets loans or whatever and that product is rejected, it breaks my heart,” she said.

NAFDAC

Established in 1993, NAFDAC is the agency responsible for regulating and controlling the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and packaged water in Nigeria.

Adeyeye said the country’s agricultural commodities are far less acceptable in foreign countries, and that what necessitated that is a sad scenario and further lamented that exporters are boycotting regulatory procedures and that all the food products rejected abroad never went through the scrutiny of both NAFDAC and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS).

“The people that are exporting are either taking shortcuts or they’re being deceived that their products are okay, just ship it, we will take care of it,” noted Mrs Adeyeye.

Due to lack of adequate storage facilities, she said, some agricultural products developed moulds before shipments, and that such products when bought and used within the country don’t usually have problems.

“But within the country, the storage facility is very poor for Micro-small businesses, and that NAFDAC food survey years back reveals that; there is mould in a lot of our food crops in the country,” she said.

However, Mrs Adeyeye stated that part of what the agency is doing currently is to amplify sensitization on the need for exporters to ensure that their commodities are duly tested by NAFDAC before exporting them.

The regulator’s boss explained that while they are being prudent by saving more money to enhance the purchasing of efficient testing equipment, the government is also supporting them with some money in this regard.