The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control revealed that it is working on a bilateral deal with the UK Government which would enable easier exports of Nigerian processed products registered with NAFDAC.
To take full advantage of the opportunity, business owners who intend to enter the processed food export industry are invited to get in touch with NAFDAC.
The UK government has also offered a preferred trading system and lowered tariffs on 90% of the commodities that Nigeria exports.
This information was released in a statement by NAFDAC Resident Media Consultant, Mr. Olusayo Akintola, quoting the agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.
The UK government announced earlier this year that it intends to lower tariffs on items imported duty-free from Nigeria, which might assist the nation in increasing exports by 2030.
The NAFDAC Chief urged the Nano Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises representatives during a meeting to always concentrate on one product that is well received by consumers rather than producing several items at once that will all be rejected.
She continued by saying they should also think about exporting these products, noting that exportation is dependent on quality and that the agency was working with the UK Department of Business and Trade.
The NAFDAC Chief stated that she regretted that developed countries had rejected Nigerian food exports at the point of entry due to poor quality, and that the problem would have been resolved if they had been examined by NAFDAC. She continued:
“Let’s consider the future or the markets we can enter; Nigerians living abroad are concerned about the food exports we are making.
Some of our people depend on eba (cassava flour), pounded yams, or amala (yam flour) to survive. Without palm oil, some people cannot prepare food. We have a lot of opportunities to take advantage of.
She further stated that NAFDAC would continue to examine foods and other items to ensure that whatever was first released would not be unsafe.
The director-general reaffirmed to NMSME that NAFDAC will continue to support NAFDAC, highlighting the fact that agency employees were being taught not to cut corners and to treat clients with respect based on a quality management system.
The organization noted that business owners who want to export food items from Nigeria should collaborate with NAFDAC, as they will give them the necessary advice and help.
The UK government declared in January that it will lower taxes on products imported duty-free from Nigeria.
At the Developing Countries Trading Scheme launch in Lagos, deputy British high commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Ben Llewellyn-Jones, revealed this.
He said that the change, which would go into effect in April 2023, will increase Nigeria’s non-oil export trade when the two countries’ trade volume reaches 2.2 billion pounds in 2022.
According to Llewellyn-Jones, the decision to lower tariffs on Nigerian exports will result in annual import costs for British consumers of £750 million less.
“The UK Government has provided a preferential trading scheme for a variety of other exports that the country might have, and has also reduced the tariffs on 90% of the goods that Nigeria would export to our country.” In order to assist exporters and other people involved in the trading industry in making the United Kingdom an export destination, we have contacted both small and major enterprises in various regions of the nation.
