We’ll Not Relent on Food Export Regulations, Says NAFDAC | METROWATCH

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, (NAFDAC,) has issued a strong warning to Nigerians who export processed or semi-processed goods.

The agency said that it will not compromise on the industry’s regulations.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, reaffirmed the agency’s determination to continue enforcing these regulations, which serve as legal frameworks to ensure compliance across all sectors, including manufacturing, importation, exportation, distribution, advertisement, sale, and use of regulated products.

Adeyeye stressed that NAFDAC’s firm stance is necessary in light of the rejection of certain Nigerian food exports, as well as concerns raised by cocoa stakeholders regarding the NAFDAC Export Regulation 2024 posted on the agency’s website for public comment.

According to her, the regulations are rooted in the agency’s enabling laws and clearly define the boundaries of acceptable practices, including penalties for any violations, adding that the measures are vital for maintaining Nigeria’s competitiveness in international trade, where compliance with trade laws is rigorously scrutinized, especially since some Nigerian products are already on the red list of certain importing countries.

She said this in a statement on Sunday through the Agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola during a consultative meeting with the Cocoa Processors Association of Nigeria, COPAN, and other stakeholders in the food export sector.

She allayed the fears initially expressed by the cocoa stakeholders over the draft regulations.

The NAFDAC boss said making the draft document available to the public was aimed at making the issue interactive and inclusive, as it was not a finality.

She pointed out that the objective of the meeting was to create a platform to discuss critical issues of trade facilitation and how both the Agency and stakeholders in the export value chain can forge a common front, and speak with one voice for the mutual good of the country.

She emphasized that the Agency has not acted outside its mandates as export regulations is just one of the several regulations that are in the process of being gazetted into law, while noting that NAFDAC, which is now a World Health Organization (WHO) ML3 Regulatory Agency has updated and gazetted 21 regulations covering many areas of its regulatory activities.

She said the proper step to take is for food exporters to register their products with NAFDAC to avoid running foul of the law.