Federal Govt Inaugurates Committee To Check Export Rejections

The federal government has inaugurated an Interministerial Committee on the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) to strengthen agricultural biosecurity, reduce export rejections and position Nigeria to expand its share of international agricultural trade.

The committee, which was inaugurated in Abuja, is expected to tackle regulatory and institutional bottlenecks undermining the competitiveness of Nigeria’s agricultural exports.

At the event, the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Deborah Odoh, on behalf of the minister of Agriculture and Food Security, said the initiative reflected the government’s determination to address challenges at the intersection of agricultural biosecurity, trade facilitation and economic diversification.

She said agriculture remained central to the administration’s economic programme, stressing the need for a robust, seamless and internationally trusted agricultural quarantine system capable of unlocking greater value from the sector.

The minister described NAQS as Nigeria’s first line of defence against dangerous pests, invasive species and transboundary plant, animal and aquatic diseases capable of threatening food security. He also identified the service as a critical gatekeeper for agricultural exports, ensuring that Nigerian commodities meet international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements.

The government noted that Nigeria could no longer afford the economic losses associated with agricultural export rejections arising from failure to meet international measures. Such rejections, it said, cost the country billions in lost revenue, damage the “Made-in-Nigeria” brand and restrict opportunities for farmers, exporters and agribusinesses.

The committee is expected to review proposals for strengthening NAQS’ operational capacity, assess infrastructure needs, including headquarters facilities, park houses and advanced laboratory equipment, and determine how the proposed interventions align with economic diversification, food security and trade facilitation objectives.

The comptroller-general of NAQS, Dr Vincent Isegbe, commended the federal government for its continued support for strengthening agricultural quarantine through institutional investment and inter-agency collaboration.

According to the NAQS in a statement, Isegbe highlighted the services role in preventing the introduction and spread of transboundary pests and diseases through pest risk analysis, surveillance, inspection, certification and other quarantine procedures.

He said a stronger quarantine system would help reduce the rejection of Nigerian agricultural exports, improve foreign exchange earnings, strengthen the country’s reputation as a reliable exporter of safe agricultural products and expand opportunities for farmers, exporters and agribusinesses.

Also speaking, the director of economic growth,  Auwal Mohammed, described the committee’s inauguration as a major step towards stronger inter-agency collaboration in agricultural development, food security and economic diversification.

The committee comprises representatives of the ministries of budget and economic planning; agriculture and food security; finance; and industry , trade and investment , alongside the budget office of the federation, Nigeria Customs Service, NAQS, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Nigerian National Accreditation System, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, freight forwarding associations and other stakeholders.