Agency, ANLCA resolve to end rejection of food exports

National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) against facilitating illegal importation of medical syringes, saying it is threatening survival of local pharmaceutical companies.

NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, issued the warning during a visit by the new executives of ANLCA, led by its National President, Mr Emenike Nwokochi, to the agency’s Lagos office.

Adeyeye expressed concern about the stockpile of unsold syringes, over 1.5 billion units, at a local pharmaceutical company due to the influx of cheap imported syringes.

She noted that the company had made significant investments in its facilities, comparable to those in developed countries. She said: “Over 1.5 billion units of the product were lying untouched in the warehouse due to low sales, exacerbated by the influx of imported syringes into the country, despite the high import duty slammed on the product to protect the local market.”

NAFDAC DG also expressed concerns about intelligence reports that some customs agents were compromising at ports of entry, allowing unregistered containers of syringes into the country. She referred to a publication by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) stating that some syringes from Southeast Asia are of bad quality, lamenting that those products did not fly by night and land in different warehouses in Nigeria; but that they entered into the country through individuals. 

Adeyeye emphasised the role of customs agents in ensuring the legal and safe import and export of goods, including compliance with required standards.
She also stressed the need for effective collaboration between NAFDAC and ANLCA to boost the local pharmaceutical industry and protect public health.

Addressing the challenge of rejected Nigerian food exports at entry points in Europe, US, and the UK, she said: ‘’Nigeria has lost billions of naira in trade that could have benefitted our people. About 70 per cent of our exports are rejected, food products especially. All these rejected products did not go through NAFDAC regulatory assessment.  It disgraces us as a country.’’
 
To address the situation, Adeyeye urged exporters to adhere to international quality standards and obtain proper documentation for their products. She also stressed the importance of utilising NAFDAC’s accredited laboratories for product testing to ensure compliance with regulations.

Nwokochi, in his remarks, acknowledged the need to improve the quality of Nigerian exports and pledged his association’s commitment to working with NAFDAC to achieve this goal. He also stressed the importance of increasing exports to generate foreign exchange and stabilise the naira.