Business
NAFDAC Decries Global Market’s Rejection of Nigerian Foods
The high level of turning down of Nigerian foods in the global market is a thing of concern to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Director-General, NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye has lamented a situation where over 70 percent of food exports from Nigeria meet with rejection at global market levels, according to a statement issued on Sunday.
She made the observation during the commissioning of the new NAFDAC Office complex for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport/NAHCO in Lagos.
The Agency expressed optimism that the undesirable incidence of rejection of food exports from Nigeria in some European countries and the United States of America would soon become history because it’s fashioning collaboration between with other government agencies at the ports.
According to Prof Adeyeye the deplorable state of export trade facilitation for regulated products leaving the country has continued to be a serious cause for concern for the NAFDAC.
She opined that a trip to NAFDAC Export warehouses at the international airport would give an insight into why Nigerian exports abroad have been meeting stiff resistance.
With the problems identified, the Agency is leaving no stone unturned to address it, which is why they are working together with other relevant agencies to meet global regulatory requirements.
She said, “The mandate to safeguard the health of the populace through ensuring that food, medicines, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, and packaged water are safe, efficacious, and of the right quality in an economy that is overwhelmingly dependent on the importation of the bulk of its finished products and raw materials could never have been actualised without the effective presence of NAFDAC at the ports and land borders.
On collaboration with local and global agencies to achieve NAFDAC’s goals and aid exports, Prof Adeyeye said, “Without (the) Customs, we will not be able to do a lot of what we have been able to do. The collaboration between Customs and NAFDAC is huge.
“NAFDAC is a complex organisation. We are scientific. We are police and we work with the Department of State Services. We work with Interpol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation because of the few unscrupulous stakeholders.
“NAFDAC collaborates with Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services to ensure that due diligence is done because over 70 percent of the products that leave our ports get rejected. Considering the money spent on getting those products out of the country, it is a double loss for both the exporter and the country.
“Without the police, we cannot do much in terms of investigation and enforcement. We have over 80 policemen with us in NAFDAC. They help us a lot when we are doing raids or investigations as the case may be’’.
In a sharp turn of events, the Nigerian Naira took a significant tumble on Tuesday, plunging to N1,416.57 against the US dollar at the official market.
This staggering drop of N62.36 from the previous trading day represents a 4.60 percent loss, sparking concerns among investors and analysts alike.
Data from the FMDQ Exchange, overseeing the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), revealed this unsettling trend.
Despite the currency’s downward spiral, trading activity surged, with the daily turnover soaring to $160.77 million, compared to Monday’s $84.83 million.
Meanwhile, at the Investor’s and Exporter’s (I&E) window, the Naira’s performance remained volatile, trading between N1,445 and N1,301 against the dollar, underscoring the currency’s precarious position in the market.
The management of Dangote Cement Plc., Ibese Plant has assured that it would continue to complement the efforts of the Ogun State Government in the development of its host communities through capacity building for the people, especially the youths.
In a statement, the company declared its commitment to development for the prosperity of the people and host communities for which it is placing a premium on the developmental needs of the communities and empowerment of their indigenes.
During a capacity development workshop for Host Community Representatives, General Manager, Human Asset Management/Admin, Aina Olugbenga, said, Dangote Cement remained committed to implementing value-adding empowerment programs to uplift the people and develop the host communities.
The workshop themed: “Team Building, Inclusivity and Stewardship, a panacea to effective Community Representatives” according to him, was to equip the Community reps with the right skills to offer quality representation for their people. He stated: this capacity building workshop is aimed at developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, and abilities of the communities through their representatives adapt and thrive in a fast-changing world.
Olugbenga noted that the workshop is part of the management’s strategy to improve relationships with the host communities and urged the participants to leverage the knowledge acquired from the workshop to improve service delivery to their people and the Cement plant.
According to him, Dangote Cement, Ibese Plant is committed to building the capacity of the people and institutions in the communities by identifying skill gaps and partnering to up their skills for economic prosperity. This, he stated, was in anticipation that other stakeholders will continue to play their part by partnering and supporting the Company to ensure peaceful co-existence and shared prosperity for all.
Said he, “Apart from reciprocating the good gesture of Dangote Cement by ensuring peace at all times and keeping an open and trusting mind towards the organization, we also desire from our community leaders and representatives who are present here, the ownership of all Social Investment programme, be it training or infrastructure because they are meant for the betterment of our people.”
On behalf of the Community Representatives, Hon. Dayo Ogunyinka thanked the Dangote Cement management for the workshop while assuring continued commitment to effective, efficient and selfless discharge of their roles and responsibilities to their various communities and the Plant.
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has announced revisions to the Maximum Deposit Insurance Coverage for banks operating within the country.
NDIC’s Managing Director, Bello Hassan, disclosed the updated coverage benchmarks during a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
The coverage for Deposit Money Banks has been increased from N500,000 to N5 million, for Microfinance Banks from N200,000 to N2 million, for Primary Mortgage Banks from N500,000 to N2 million, and for Mobile Money Operators subscribers’ pass-through from N500,000 to N5 million per subscriber.
Hassan underscored that the objective of the update is to enhance depositor safety, foster public trust, promote the inclusivity of financial services, and ensure the overall stability of the financial sector.
More to follow.. . .. .
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