The Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) championed a concerted push yesterday for a robust food safety framework, urging swift passage of the Food Safety and Quality Bill to bolster Nigerian agricultural products’ international market presence.
At the Food and Feed Safety Expertise Coordination Workshop in Abuja, NESG’s incoming CEO, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, highlighted the bill’s delayed enactment as a factor in the consistent rejection of Nigerian exports, particularly by the EU, US, and UK.
Simultaneously, US concerns came to light as Dr. Christopher Bielecki of the US Department of Agriculture cited non-compliance with regulatory and safety standards as the reason for rejecting Nigerian products.
Despite these challenges, Bielecki expressed the US’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in overcoming market access barriers and enhancing bilateral trade relations.
Aduloju underscored the workshop’s importance as a pivotal step in Nigeria’s quest to revolutionize food systems, citing cooperation among stakeholders as essential for reinforcing regulatory frameworks and improving food and feed quality.
He pointed to Nigeria’s vast agricultural land as a springboard for economic expansion and stressed the urgent need for regulatory and policy reforms to realize this potential. Aduloju called on President Bola Tinubu to expedite the Food Safety and Quality Bill, noting that its passage is crucial for Nigeria, especially in leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Further, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, applauded the collaborative efforts toward capacity building and modernizing the food safety system. The minister, represented by Mr. Emmanual Odu, spoke of forthcoming policy validations and guideline launches that will mark significant strides in food safety and public health security.
According to a report by This Day Live, he emphasized the need for food security to encompass not only food’s availability and affordability but also its safety and nutritional value.
The concerted efforts of these stakeholders mark a decisive move toward elevating Nigeria’s food safety standards, a step that could enhance the country’s international trade relations and secure its status as a reliable exporter in the global agricultural market.
