The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced its intention to revisit the penalties imposed on exporters of substandard products.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, conveyed this during a press conference held on Tuesday.

She expressed her concerns about the increasing rejection of substandard goods by foreign countries.

Adeyeye attributed these rejections to several factors, including exporters’ failure to comply with advisory guidelines established by NAFDAC to encourage responsible exports.

She highlighted that most food products exported had not undergone mandatory testing by NAFDAC, which is a significant issue contributing to their rejection.

Among the identified reasons behind these rejections were the neglect of previously free laboratory testing offered by NAFDAC for export samples and the involvement of unscrupulous agents.

The exclusion of NAFDAC’s requirements from the mandatory pre-shipment inspection in the National Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) administered by Federal Government-appointed Pre-shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs) was noted.

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Adeyeye also mentioned that some exporters were reluctant to adhere to minimal sanitary and phytosanitary measures necessary for exports to countries with strict market access.

Poor packaging practices by some manufacturers and a disregard for importation requirements of trading partner countries were common issues as well.

To address these challenges, NAFDAC intends to implement six regulatory measures, following discussions with the UK Food Standard Agency.

These measures include the urgent implementation of NAFDAC Good Manufacturing Practices, Good Hygienic Practices, and laboratory tests such as mycotoxin, pesticide residue, and heavy metals certification for regulated food and drug products.

NESS will also be conducted on some of these products by Federal Government-appointed PIAs. NAFDAC will be incorporated into the Central Bank of Nigeria export proceed (NXP) form processing and will collaborate with the Comptroller General of Customs in charge of the Nigeria Single Window Trade portal.

NAFDAC plans to strengthen in-country regulatory structures for exports with the introduction of NAFDAC Regulations on Export 2022.

The agency has already made these regulations available on its website for review and input from exporters, trade associations, and professional bodies over the next 60 days.