The Federal Government has inaugurated a
26-member Standing Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee to address the
rejection of Nigeria`s dry beans by the European Union. The Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, while performing the
inauguration in Abuja on Tuesday, urged the committee members to work as a team
to achieve the desired goal. “It is my pleasure to welcome you to this
important workshop for members of the Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on
Zero Reject of Agricultural Commodities and Produce/Non-Oil Exports. “We are
here to take our destinies in our hands by finding lasting solution to
incessant rejection of our agricultural commodities, especially in Europe. “We
need to avoid the embarrassment of further rejection in the future by
strengthening our regulatory authorities to live up to their mandates. “Our
desire for agricultural products and non-oil exports means there will be
vigorous pursuit of investment in quality control and standardisation. “In
addressing this challenge, we are working with the Nigerian Agricultural
Quarantine Service to ensure safety of what we produce and consume locally and
internationally, “ Ogbeh said. The minister urged members of the committee to
carry out the assignment with unity of purpose and in the interest of the
nation. “We will get our desired result if this committee carries out its work
diligently without fear or favour because there is demand for Nigeria`s product
outside the country. “We are also working with other agencies on traceability;
that is to know where the sub-standard goods are coming from. “ He, however,
called on donor agencies to consider other gaps that could be filled to bring
Nigeria`s agriculture to a loftier height. Mr Charles Malata, Chief Technical
Adviser, UNIDO, said that the importance of the workshop and inauguration was
to enable Nigeria to explore non-oil sector of the economy. Malata said that
the committee was set up because of the rejection of the country’s agricultural
produce and commodities at the international market. “We have a project which
is funded by EU and it has been running for two years. “Through the project, we
have been addressing the issue of safety and good health in order to boost the
competitiveness of Nigerian products. “We appreciate what the Federal
Government is doing towards the removal of the ban soon. “I urge the committee
to take time to look at the issues that are challenging Nigeria to provide a
roadmap to possible solutions to these challenges, “ he added. In a keynote
address, Head of Trade and Economics Section, European Union, Mr Filippo Amato,
said that the ban was a wake-up call for the country to work toward achieving
standards. He commended the Federal Government in setting up the committee to
look at the rejection of Nigeria`s beans for containing high level of
pesticides which were dangerous to human health. He, however, reiterated EU`s
support to the country in order to improve its compliance to meet standards and
protect consumers` right. The EU announced import suspension measures in June
2015, which affected dried beans from Nigeria. The suspension was supposed to
lapse in June 2016 when the country was expected to provide “substantial
guarantees that adequate official control system have been put in place “. The
EU further extended the suspension to three years for alleged lack of
seriousness by stakeholders to meet the dateline. The committee members are
from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Industry Trade
and Investment, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine
Service and Nigeria Export Promotion Council.
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