FGN: EU Countries Seize 80% of Nigeria’s Agro Products Exported Illegally

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has said that 80 percent of agro-product from Nigeria are intercepted and seized by the European Union countries due to illegal exportation.

It clarified that most of the products were prohibited for exports by the government and are illegally exported without clearance by the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service.

The NAQS is a regulatory agency under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development that harmonises plants, veterinary and aquatic resources quarantine in Nigeria.

It promotes and regulates sanitary and phytosanitary measures in connection with the import and export of agricultural products with a view to minimising the risk to agricultural economy, food safety and the environment.

China Bans Footballers from Getting Tattoos
You gave up fame to make us a home, RMD hails wife on 21st anniversary

The Director-General, NAQS, Vincent Isegbe, explained that the interception of agricultural exports from Nigeria by EU countries was basically due to the absence of the quarantine service in most Nigerian borders.

He disclosed this during an interview with our correspondent on the sidelines of the recent NAQS 3rd Director-General Summit and Management Retreat for officials of the agency and other stakeholders.
Isegbe said, “So far, in all the records that we have, of all the (agro-products) interceptions, between 80 to 82 per cent are all prohibited items. I know your next question will be why is it happening? It is because the quarantine service is not at the specific point of checking those things.”

He added, “There are two government circulars that delineated the quarantine service from operating at those points, saying that it is only Customs that will invite the quarantine service.