Ignorance, Mischief Hamper Agro Exports from Nigeria

Chinedu Eze

Not knowing how to produce untainted agro produce and the attempts to export foods that do not meet international standards, have been identified as the bane of huge agro exports from Nigeria.

This was confirmed by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) whose officials gave details of how exporters produce agro-produce that could be injurious to health due to ignorance and the desire to circumvent the rules.

Last weekend, the Aviacargo Roadmap Committee set up by the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain RabiuYadudu, went on a facility tour of some laboratories where ago-produce for export are examined.

The committee was set up with the objectives to review the process of exports, remove impediments and boost export of produce and products in Nigeria by air, with the target to move Nigeria from current number five to number one among African countries that export farm produce overseas.

The Chairman of the committee, Ambassador Ikechi Uko, said there was need to scrutinize the farm produce Nigerians export and the reason why some of these produces are rejected while that of Nigeria’s neighbours like Ghana, Cameroon, Mali and others are accepted.

He also stressed that export of agro produce from Nigeria has become critically important because Nigeria is no more prime exporter of oil and that oil demand in the international market is diminishing, insisting there is need to have alternative to oil export, since Nigeria has huge potential to be number one exporter of agro produce in Africa.

The committee visited laboratories that specialise in certifying produce for export, NAFDAC and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service to find out the standards Nigerian produce must meet in order for them to be accepted overseas.

Addressing the committee, the officer in charge of NAFDAC Central Lab in Lagos, Dr. Charles Nwachukwu, explained that the reason Nigerian commodities were taken to Ghana is for it not to be labelled Nigerian products because exporters from Nigeria ought to know what is required from the country of destination and make sure it is met and advised that Nigerians should learn to follow due process, as they will make more money, and the country’s name will be restored and not tarnished.

According to Nwachukwu, “If you are exporting maize, and the aflatoxin level of maize required in Europe is 0.4ppm, the agricultural extension workers can assist the farmers to know when to harvest and the appropriate storage process. The quality of the produce coming out of our farms lies in the hands of extension workers in the federal, state and local government levels. 

 “Another issue arises from preservation. In the bid to protect their investments, some use pesticides and other chemicals which is wrong, causing rejections. We have been sensitising our people on the implication of this action, and we will continue to do so. Sometimes they use preservatives higher than what is required and that is the cause of the rejection. It has been pesticide residue and mycotoxin level mainly that has been causing the rejections.

“There is nowhere in the world where they will reject the certificate issued by NAFDAC. There was no time this happened, because we have one of the best labs in Africa. NAFDAC has about seven labs and five of them are concerned with food. The Oshodi Lab is the centre of excellence. We have some of the best facilities when we talk about lab quality and we are improving on the equipment that are available. This agency offers lab services for export of agricultural produce free of charge if it passes through the proper channel and process, which is the export desk of the Port Inspection Directorate (PID).”

The Chief Executive Officer of an independent lab, known as Katchey, Mrs. Kate Isa, told the committee that there was need to have standard labs like Katchey that has international recognition and certification so that whenever Nigerian agro produce are examined and certified by such labs the farm produce would be accepted by the Western nations the commodities are exported to.

“November last year when Fidelity Bank Plc took a team out to try and find export market for Nigeria, I talked to Winas; the biggest supplier of supermarket chain in the UK and they told me that they used to import a lot of things from Nigeria. They would pay the exporter, the supplier, carry containers get to the port in London and it would be held there, no matter what certificate you brought it with. It would be held there until they run their own test and if it passes, they let it go. They pay demurrage, they pay for the test they ran. So because of this problem they stopped coming to Nigeria to buy anything, they go to Ghana, they go to Benin Republic, they go to those other parts of Africa where things work to buy the African products because African market is booming in the UK and New York as well. Now when they heard about Katchy they were excited and they now refer the people they want to buy from,” she said.

A member of the committee, Mr. Alex Nwuba, encapsulated the challenges Nigerians face both in the food they consume locally and the ones exported. The feedback from NAFDAC revealed that some of the foods consumed by Nigeria could give rise to cancer because of the way they are preserved and processed.

“Lessons from our visit to NAFDAC could be summarised thus: we need to export proper food but we’re free to kill ourselves. Nigeria has fantastic professionals constrained by bureaucracy. Ignorance is a killer is the best characterization of our society. Professionals are willing to help but they are prevented by the process and those unwilling to do the work. Our food is killing us. The ignorance and backwardness of producers is causing the problem.Avoid pomo, its mostly cooked with rubber (tyres), which could cause cancer and cancer is the leading killer in Nigeria. Diligent scientists know what to do but the system is preventing them from doing the job. Farmers use dangerous pesticides that enter the food chain and yet there are better ways .Don’t eat dry fish unless you know how it was prepared, if it was done over open fire and wood, it will ultimately kill you. Look for oven dried fish. Neither eat anything cooked with charcoal with wood of unknown source. Vegetables without holes means insects have been repelled, you too should run (chemicals are used to repel the insects). If you see meat in the open market that flies are running from, run too; it is contaminated with insecticides.

Be careful with all grains, traders want to maximize the lifespan and prevent infestation using dangerous chemicals,” he cautioned.