Gilbert Ekugbe highlights the Standards Organisation of Nigeria’s standardization strategy to combat rejection of Nigerian goods in the United States and the European Union

Following the National Administration for Food Drug Administration and Control’s (NAFDAC) outcry over the rejection of Nigerian products by the United States and the European Union (EU), the need to prioritize development of standards cannot be overemphasized.

Over the years Nigerian products have continued to face rejection at the global markets on accounts of non conformity to global best practices hence, the urgent need to maximize the Nigerian National Standardisation Strategy (NNSS), will not be out place to address the high level of rejection currently being faced by Nigerian products at the international scene.

In other climes, issues relating to standards are taken seriously especially if it has to do with food as developed economies place premium importance on food safety in their quest to safeguard unsuspecting consumers of food. Therefore, stakeholders in the nation’s agricultural sector must embrace the NNSS to drive export of non-oil products since Nigeria’s plan to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbon resources is largely dependent on a virile non-oil export market of agricultural products
The NNSS is a document that identifies priorities for standardization in a country based on an assessment of national needs and usually accompanied by a national implementation plan that gives orientation for national standardisation work within three years.

The Director, Standards Development (SON), Chinyere Egwuonwu, at a capacity building workshop for Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN) in Lagos, said the aim of the strategy is to support Nigeria’s industrialization strategies and unlatch prospects for improved socio economic development, maintaining that the Standards Council of Nigeria officially approved the NNSS.

She said standards development is demand/stakeholder driven which means the standards must be developed carefully, continue to meet stakeholders’ demands and expectations, noting that with the constant improvements in science, technology and innovation, demands for standards continuously increase.

She however stated that there is always the constraint of inadequate availability of resources both human and financial for carrying out standards development work, resulting in the need to focus on national priority areas in order to use the available resources to develop standards on most important topics.

“It helps to develop standards in a most effective way, using the available resources in the most efficient manner, driven mainly by the SON with strong stakeholders’ engagement and assessment of national standardisation priorities,” she said.

Egwuonwu said the NNSS is the first ever Nigerian standardisation strategy listing priority standards to be developed, adding that it is currently being driven by the SON with support from all the key stakeholders.

She added: “The implementation is healthy and is also aligned with relevant regional, continental and international standards development organisations to make it relevant as an enabler for Nigeria to enter the global market. It is strictly being implemented and we are working hard to ensure that we achieve the scheduled standards so that the needed standards are available for our stakeholders to participate in the ongoing African Continental free trade Area (AfCFTA).”

She noted that a total of 274 standards were planned to be developed in the first year (2020) of the NNSS implementation plan and a total of 264 was achieved making it 96 per cent achievement despite the impacts of the Covid 19 Pandemic.

Active Participation

She pointed out that the success of NNSS depends on active participation of the key stakeholders in public and private sectors, adequate funding for the national standardisation programme, uptake of the resultant standards by the business community and policy makers.

Recommending the need to upgrade strategy document, she said the NNSS and the associated work programme are living documents that is constantly updated and improved to ensure they remain in line with current conditions and continue to meet stakeholders’ demands and expectations.

She added that they remain flexible and be open to respond to new demands for standards, which may not have been anticipated and are therefore not part of the plan as it aims to support the implementation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Economic Recovery & Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017- 2020, Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).

“It has identified priorities for standardisation based on the strategic directions given by these national strategic priorities/plans ERGP, NIRP, delivered a core set of standards that will be important enabler for government’s actions, economic activities and social measures required for Nigeria’s development,” she said.

“The NNSS supports sector-specific initiatives defined in ERGP and related national strategic priorities/plans aiming to restore Nigeria’s economic growth, supports MSMEs development, to assist the most vulnerable members of society, open opportunities for Job creation, youth empowerment and improving human capital,” she added.

She stated that NNSS aims to support the strong and active participation of the private sector in the national, international and continental trade, particularly with the implementation of the AfCFTA, while also identifying priorities for standardisation based on the sector-specific needs of the private sector and national strategic directions, priorities and plans of Federal Government aiming to restore Nigeria’s economic growth

“It will deliver a core set of standards that will be important enabler for the private sector aligning and achieving these government policies, to manufacture /provide quality products and services as well as their active and beneficial participation in international trade, particularly in the African Common market through the AfCFTA,” she averred.

NNSS’s Economic Benefits

Highlighting the economic benefits of the NNSS, she said it ensures that the development of new national standards is based on a clear understanding of our national priorities in the fields of the economy, trade, the society, health, environment or other areas and also takes into account emerging sectors that are expected to gain in importance in the future.

She further stated that NNSS would develop standards in line with national needs (stakeholders needs and the present Government policies), provide continuous availability of required standards, supports industrialization of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) and give basic support for industrialization, trade, economic growth and market development.

She added: “It will lead to increased use of standards by both public and private sectors as basis for regulation and as reference for legal agreements and as a country, increase market access, innovation, and sustainable economic transformation, achieve Nigeria’s economic empowerment and growth and improve the quality of life daily lives of all Nigerians.”

Reacting to the rejection of Nigerian goods at the EU and US market, the Technical Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture on Knowledge Management and Communication, Mr. Richard-Mark Mbaram, said the ministry after investigating the situation found out that the commodities that were rejected did not originate from Nigeria.

“They were smuggled out of the country. They did not originate through proper channels. On one hand, we know it is a deficit on our porous borders, but the reality is that these people undertook sharp practices and that is why we are where we are,” he said.

He however called on the need to strengthen inter-agency collaboration, saying that in February this year, the Minister constituted a standing inter-ministerial committee for zero reject project of Nigeria commodities.

He added that the committee is made up several ministries and agencies of government that has to do with processing of agro commodities for export.

“But there is a huge issue here because we still have to contend with the reality of deficit in infrastructure and this is why we are heavily investing into a special agro processing programme that will give us seven States plus FCT where we can carry out agricultural activities in places where we have comparative advantage for specific commodities in a way that will be inherent with global best practices and also connecting them to the ports and evacuation corridors and we are able to monitor and trace these commodities, “he stated.

Unregulated Exporters

On his part, an agro food processor marketer and exporter, Mr. Alfred Uwheraka, said the rejection was due to the unregulated non-oil exporter adding that everybody wants to be an exporter without taking into cognizance of standards, global requirements and good agricultural practices.

In his words, “Everybody just wants to be an exporter to make foreign exchange. These days people go to Ido or someplace to pack goods together to export their brothers or sisters overseas. For everything you do, you must look at the standards of other countries and their rules.”

“These nonchalant exporters that do not put standards into consideration are the ones destroying our image. I currently export to the United States and my products are not rejected,” he stated.

He however disagreed with the statement from NAFDAC, saying that is negative to the export business.

“There should be a platform to check whose goods are being rejected not just to speak broadly to damage our competence. I am still exporting to European countries as we speak. It is when you do not do things the right way that you have problem exporting.

For me anybody making a report of that nature should show it evidences. You do not give a negative report to give credence to your view. For me I believe the information was overblown used to undermine Nigeria’s export market and this is bad because the non-oil export is another major avenue of foreign exchange for a country that is import dependent. We should stop giving wrong signals,” he said.

The Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Export Group, (MANEG), Chief Ede Dafinone, said he is yet to see the report, but stated that if the goods rejected met the EU requirements, it would have not suffered rejection, but stated if otherwise he would be glad to join in the protest to see that these goods thrive at the international market.

“For us at MANEG, most of our members are blue chip companies that have continuously to meet export requirements and our goods have never been rejected,” he said.

Source: https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/08/10/combating-rejection-of-nigerian-goods/

Good goods sell itself.