Made-in-Nigeria Goods Shipped To Ghana For Certification To Enhance Export Value

Harboursandport.com: Lagos - There are indications that Nigerians are now shipping their manufactured goods to Ghana to seek their certification to enable them to be exported to Europe, America, and Asia.

The above is a result of the weak regulations and certification of such goods by the agencies set up by the Federal Government. The weak regulations and certification had led to the rejection of cargo coming from Nigeria in the past.

Recall that the federal government empowers National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC to certify and control the quality of drugs and foods consumed in the country while the Standard Organisation of Nigeria is in charge of the responsibility of ensuring the quality of both imported and produced goods in the country.

Attesting to this in Lagos when the Maritime Association of Nigeria, MARAN paid a courtesy call to the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, KLT Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the Customs Area Controller, CAC, Timi Bomodi said it is true that Nigerian made goods are now being shipped to Ghana to seek their certification to easy export.

Bomodi noted that the above have driven up the volume of export from Ghana in recent times.

According to him, “If you do not operate under a set of rules and you do not define standards, then you are going to be defined by standards.

“Go to Ghana, when you travel to America, go to the African shops; you would see that 90 per cent of the things you see in those shops come from Ghana. Do you know what Nigerians do? Some goods that are produced in Nigeria are taken to Ghana to get Ghana certification before being exported.

“You see because we are having this discussion and you guys are in the media, it is very necessary that you keep pushing for this and you talk about it. Now who is in charge of foods and drugs administration, NAFDAC right? NAFDAC spends more time in the port than they spend in the Ajegunle market; than they spend Oshodi market, than they spend in the Oyingbo market.

“Why is it like that? Think about it, it is food. We have reports today that a lot of foods that are being consumed in this country are contaminated, and high in insecticides; the volume that these products should have is extremely high and it is not fit for human consumption. And nobody is talking about it,” he noted.