The Director General of the National Agency of Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, has identified non-compliance with advisory guidelines and the reluctance of exporters to adhere to minimal sanitary measures as key reasons behind the rejection of Nigerian food products in the United Kingdom (UK).
Prof Adeyeye disclosed that NAFDAC held a scheduled side event with the UK Food Standard Agency to address the growing incidence of rejection of Nigerian food products in international markets. This event took place during the recently concluded workshop on the Nigeria-UK Enhanced Trade & Investment Partnership in London, with the Nigerian delegation led by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, & Investment.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Prof Adeyeye, represented by Dr. Abimbola Adegboye, the Director of Ports Inspection Directorate and Head of Office of Trade and International Relations, elaborated on the agency’s discussions with the UK Food Standard Agency.
Prof Adeyeye outlined multiple challenges contributing to the export rejection issue. These challenges include non-compliance with NAFDAC’s advisory guidelines, products exported without mandatory NAFDAC testing, and a lack of NAFDAC quality control and safety tests.
Prof Adeyeye emphasized that almost all exported food products bypass statutory testing by NAFDAC, leading to their rejection in international markets. “It is not surprising that items lacking NAFDAC quality control and safety tests face rejection,” she said.
Other challenges include the failure to utilize NAFDAC’s free laboratory testing services for export samples, collaboration with unscrupulous agents, the exclusion of NAFDAC’s requirements in mandatory pre-shipment inspections, exporters’ unwillingness to meet minimal sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, and poor packaging, which disregards importation requirements of trading partner countries.
To address these challenges and enhance the quality of Nigerian food exports, NAFDAC, in collaboration with the UK Food Standard Agency, is implementing some regulatory measures.
Prof Adeyeye underlined the urgency, stating, “No patriot should export any NAFDAC-regulated product without it passing essential safety and quality certification. This is crucial to avoid the substantial economic losses resulting from the rejection of non-compliant exports by trading partners.”
NAFDAC had previously reported that over 70% of food exports from Nigeria were being rejected abroad.
Prof Adeyeye emphasized that the recent meeting with the UK Food Standard Agency aims to address these issues and improve the safety and quality of Nigerian food exports, ensuring they meet the necessary standards and gain acceptance in international markets.