The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has established a robust system to facilitate trade by ensuring that exported products consistently meet international market standards, the agency announced during a sensitisation workshop in Kaduna.
Oluwaseyi Sanwoolu of the Post-Inspection Directorate made the disclosure while presenting at the workshop on Processing Export Applications for stakeholders and NAFDAC officers in the North-West Zone.
She explained that products already registered with NAFDAC benefit from a significantly faster inspection and approval process.
Sanwoolu highlighted that NAFDAC currently issues six types of export certificates and noted ongoing challenges related to RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) notifications from the European Union.
“The RASFF challenge arises when the EU identifies a defect and sends a notification, often resulting in rejection or return of consignments,” she said.
To address these issues, she said NAFDAC is intensifying nationwide sensitisation on adherence to approved export procedures and working to fast-track internal processes to meet required timelines.
“The agency is collaborating closely with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nigeria Customs Service, and other relevant bodies to streamline the export process and reduce rejection rates,” Sanwoolu assured participants.
Representing the Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director of Narcotics and Controlled Substances (NCS), Ramatu Ahmadu, emphasised strict enforcement of regulations to prevent the export of unsafe, improperly packaged, or undocumented products—factors that have contributed to high rejection rates in international markets.
She urged NAFDAC staff to handle files in a timely and professional manner, stressing that efficiency reflects positively on both the individual and the agency.
The Director of the North-West Zone, Nantim Mullah-Dadi, described the region as one of the most agriculturally endowed in Africa, with vast potential for high-value exports.
He highlighted key commodities driving the zone’s economy:
– Sesame seeds (contributing an estimated 70% of Nigeria’s total sesame exports)
– Ginger of exceptional pungency from southern Kaduna and parts of Kano
– Turmeric sought by global pharmaceutical manufacturers
– Onions supplying markets from Abuja to Accra
– Groundnuts with historical significance in Nigeria’s export profile
– Diverse grains, legumes, vegetables, and dairy products from fadama lands in Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, and Kano
“These raw materials for a world-class export economy are readily available in the North-West, growing right in our fields,” Mullah-Dadi said.
However, he lamented that farmers often sell at low farm-gate prices to middlemen, with minimal value addition occurring locally. “The bulk of our raw commodities leave our borders, undergo processing and branding elsewhere, and return to our markets at prices several multiples of what we originally sold,” he observed.
The workshop underscored NAFDAC’s renewed focus on quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder collaboration to unlock the North-West’s agricultural potential and position Nigerian exports competitively on the global stage.
