Export Rejects: Nigerian delegation embarks on fact-finding mission to UK

Jennifer Inah

Last updated Sep 13, 2022

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) is leading an Inter-Agency team to the United Kingdom on a fact-finding mission as part of efforts to address issues that inhibit the growth of Nigeria’s non-oil export sector and curb the incidences of export rejects.

In the statement signed by Head, Corporate Communications of the NEPC, Mr Ndubueze Okeke, Agencies participating in the mission are the National Food, Drug and Administration Control; the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service; the Nigerian Customs Service; the National Aviation Handling Company; Skypower Aviation Handling Company Limited; the Federal Produce Inspection Service, and the Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria.

Dr Ezra Yakusak, the Executive Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

The Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Dr. Ezra Yakusak, who is to lead the team lamented that these cases of rejection had resulted in stricter inspection regime on Nigerian exports in the importing countries and in some cases led to the suspension or ban of some products.

“It also attracts unfavourable international media attention, gives the country a negative image as well as constitutes financial burden to the exporters, who have to bear the cost of either reshipping the banned product to Nigeria or destroying the product.

“The objective of the 5-day visit is to provide Nigerian export-regulatory and facilitating agencies the opportunity of observing the processes of agricultural commodities import procedures and interface with Port Health and Food Import Regulatory Agencies at the Border Control Points (BCPs) in the UK,” he added.

The Port of Southampton in the United Kingdom

According to the statement, other areas to be visited by the team are the Southampton Port (the second busiest port in UK), Spitafield Market – a one-stop aggregation and distribution centre for imported food in the UK as well as the Food Standards Agency (FDA), and the Parliament, among others.

It also noted that the team earlier held an interactive session with some Nigerian food importers in the UK as part of efforts to address the challenges encountered in importing food items from Nigeria to the UK.

It will be recalled that the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adeniyi Adebayo, recently inaugurated a Technical Committee to address the incidences of export rejects with a view to proffering solutions to the problem.

Edited by Amaka E. Nliam