EU Denies Ban on Agricultural Products

The European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS has refuted reports that the EU has banned the import of agricultural products from Nigeria. 

It however noted that the import suspension measure, which has been misconstrued, affected only dried beans. The Head of Trade and Economic Section of the EU delegation to Nigeria, Mr. Filipino Amato, made this clarification in an email to THISDAY on Tuesday, wherein he added that some agricultural products had been rejected at the EU borders due to high level of pesticides which is dangerous for human health.

Aquatic Resources Quarantine

The aquatic resources arm of NAQS applies sanitary measures to prevent the entry of foreign exotic pests, pathogens and diseases of aquatic resources through international boundaries or by travelers while also preventing their dissemination across, through export trade, by adhering to international standards and protocols under WTO/OIE/SPS agreements through these functions.

Plant Quarantine

This department of NAQS protects the cultivated crops and the natural flora from destructive foreign plant pests.

It also ensures that our agricultural exports meets international standard set by IPPC and WTO/SPS Agreement and specific phytosanitary requirements of countries importing plants, plant products and other regulated articles from Nigeria. 

Animal Quarantine Department

The veterinary arm of NAQS performs the following quarantine services:

• Health Inspection of export and import if live animals including dogs, cattle, cats, horses, sheep, goats, turkey, poulets/old chicks, eggs, parent stock and pet birds.
• Verification of import and export permits issued by the office of the Director, Federal Department of Livestock and Pest Control Services for the importation/exportation of animals and their products.
• Authentication of international veterinary certificate accompanying imported animals and their products (e.g tallow, horn and hooves, blood meal, hatchable eggs, milk etc.)
• Conduct of surveillance to determine the presence of contagious animals and zoonotic diseases.

Brown Beans Suspension by The European Union (EU) Ccommission

Recently, the European Union (EU) suspended the export of some of the Nigerian agricultural products into the members’ countries.

The ban exposes the loopholes in our regulatory mechanisms and government’s failure to equip the relevant body certifying the nation’s agro products for exports amidst porous borders exploited by smugglers. One of the rejected products that have been in the news in recent times is the nation’s dried brown beans suspended till June 30, 2016.