The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged exporters to use its facilities to standardise exportable agro-allied products free-of-charge.
The agency’s Director of Special Duties, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, made the appeal when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Thursday.
Jimoh said that the use of its facilities was part of the agency’s contributions to Federal Government Zero Export Reject Initiative.
“The agency is currently implementing no fee charge for inspection, laboratory analysis and export licence when exporting products.
“NAFDAC recently established Small Business Support Desk to guide small businesses, including agro-allied products exporters on how to achieve this with ease in line with the Executive Order on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.
“This is to ensure that the agro-allied products meant for export from the country gets NAFDAC certification from our internationally accredited and standardised laboratories in order for the product to gain quick international acceptance,’’ he said.
According to him, the international accredited laboratories are in four locations, namely; Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and Anambra.
Jimoh noted that the agency was already synergising with other government commissions and agencies involved in export business and control to ensure that Nigerians, especially young entrepreneurs succeed in this direction.
He said that NAFDAC had been working in partnership with Nigerian Investment Promotion Council; the Nigeria Export Promotion Agency and others to promote export in order to diversify the economy.
“I know this is good news for businessmen and women from the South-East, who currently are leaving import-side of business to the export-side of business.
“It will ease standardisation and make the agro-allied products meant for export meet with international package and guideline.
“This means more foreign exchange for our people and expansion of the current agro-allied businesses and their value chain in the country,’’ Jimoh added.
“I know with the seriousness people of the zone attach to business, this new export-driven initiative will succeed when we get it right.” (NAN)
