IPAN: Poor Funding of Analytic Laboratories Responsible for Rejection of Nigeria’s Export Produce

Fidelis David in Akure

The Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) yesterday said lack of government funding of analytic laboratories was responsible for the rejection of Nigeria’s export produce.

IPAN Chairman of Council, Prof Olugbenga Ogunmoyela, stated this while speaking in Akure, Ondo State, during the group’s 30th Mandatory Continuous Professional Development (MCPD) Workshop for its members with the theme: “Laboratory Analysis: A Necessary Quality Assurance Measures for Acceptance of Agro-Allied Products.”

Ogunmoyela who said the development was a major contributor to the high rate of rejection of most consumer goods from Nigeria and Africa extraction, called on relevant authorities and analysts to wake up to its responsibilities.

He said: “The continent of Africa contributes less than nine per cent to the global laboratory activities and this is one of the reasons you begin to see that rejects of various products come from the African region because even the nine per cent we are talking about are actually owned by laboratories that are offshore and they carry out activities for us here.

“If we are going to reverse that trend, we must begin to encourage the significant roles for the laboratory sector in Nigeria. This is really a call for IPAN members in this part of the country and beyond to begin to think of ways by which we could take a rightful place in the economy because global competitiveness of laboratories is going to be the way by which we would avoid international rejection of products that we have,” he said.

In his keynote address, the Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Prof. Edward Olanipekun tasked government to subsidise the procurement of the necessary equipment and facilities or provide finance incentives so that agro-allied products for export from Nigeria could attract premium prices at their destinations.

He said, “There wouldn’t have been a better time to hold this workshop other than now when our country is facing serious economic challenges. Development of our agro-allied industries is critical in diversifying and revamping the ailing monolithic economy of our country, which is 85 to 90 per cent oil- and gas-dependent.

“Our economy, which was largely dependent on agriculture in the 60s and early 70s, suddenly became hydrocarbon-dependent at the detriment of the agricultural and other non-oil sectors of the economy.”

According to the VC, “despite its huge natural endowments, the neglect of Nigerias vast agricultural potentials, which used to be its biggest foreign exchange (FOREX) earner, coupled with non-exploitation of the vast solid minerals potentials, perfectly fits into the paradox of resource curse”.

Declaring the event open,  Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Olugbenga Ale, said the choice of the state was apt noting that the state and the nation stand to generate local and foreign revenues from Agro-allied products, like cocoa which Ondo State is producing in large quantity, and number one highest producer in the country.

Ondo State Head of Service (HOS), Mr Kayode Ogundele and the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Olayato Aribo said a careful perusal of the mandate of the institute and digging to its past and the present activities showed that it has maintained a high standard it was known for, which he said included organising relevant and impactful mandatory continuous professional development for its members, scientists and general public, examining and registration of public analysts, training and regulating the practice of public analysts and analytical laboratories in Nigeria.