The European Union has been rejecting over 76% of agricultural commodities from Nigeria. Director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye said the products are not meeting required standards

Mrs Adeyeye lamented that aside from the money lost, protecting the image of the country is extremely important.

"We've got to work hard to show that we love this country to the extent that we will not bring disgrace to the country from outside. When somebody exports an agricultural product, saves money, gets loans or whatever and that product is rejected, it breaks my heart," she said.

NAFDAC

Established in 1993, NAFDAC is the agency responsible for regulating and controlling the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals and packaged water in Nigeria.

Adeyeye said the country's agricultural commodities are far less acceptable in foreign countries, and that what necessitated that is a sad scenario and further lamented that exporters are boycotting regulatory procedures and that all the food products rejected abroad never went through the scrutiny of both NAFDAC and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS).

"The people that are exporting are either taking shortcuts or they're being deceived that their products are okay, just ship it, we will take care of it," noted Mrs Adeyeye.

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