ADDRESS BY CHIEF AUDU OGBEH, OFR, HONOURABLE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT AT THE HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON THE VALIDATION OF NIGERIA’S STRATEGY FOR A SINGLE QUALITY CONTROL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM/ PLAN FOR ZERO REJECT OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES AND PRODUCE/NON EXPORTS, TUESDAY, 22ND NOVEMBER, 2016, HMA’S CONFERENCE ROOM, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT ABUJA.
Protocol
It is with a sense of profound delight that I welcome my colleagues – Ministers and other key stakeholders-to this meeting to validate Nigeria’s new articulated Strategy for ensuring a single quality control management system for zero reject of our agricultural commodities/ produce and non-oil exports. The strategy is embodied in two documents for validation at this meeting namely Methodology of Conduit of Excellence (Quality & Safety Controlled Beans from Nigeria) and Standard Operating Procedure Manual for Zero Reject for Non-Oil Exports in Nigeria.
- To most of us gathered here this morning, this journey started recently with the establishment of the inter-ministerial technical committee on zero reject of agricultural commodities/ produce and non-oil exports, co-chaired by my humble self and the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, with most of you on board. I commend you all-members of the inter-ministerial committee-for working tirelessly to develop the strategy document, for a single quality control management system for zero reject, being validated at this meeting today. I appreciate UNIDO, the European Union and other national and international partners for facilitating your work. I recognize that with the facilitation support of these strategic and willing partners, the work of the inter-ministerial Committee’s has been made less tasking and burdensome.
- Honourable Ministers, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the concern for standards and quality control can no longer be treated with levity in Nigeria. It has, therefore, become necessary for us, as a nation, to take this matter very seriously. Let me also emphasize that I will be quick to say that the time for us all to recognize that there is only one standard is now, given that the only acceptable standard is the global/international standard. Accordingly, there can be no other choice of standard before us. We must cultivate and embrace the international standard as the benchmark for our agro and non-oil exports to enhance our global competitiveness.
- In a globalized world, and in this era of free trade, nothing is more embarrassing and tragic than to continue to have Nigerian goods and food items rejected in the world market. Unfortunately, we have reacted to this event in the past with our usual lack of seriousness. This, to me, is hugely troubling. We may have treated the rejection by other economies as prejudice and discrimination. To me this is unwise and self-defeating. The truth is that we have never seriously paid attention, especially since the dissolution of the marketing boards, to the question of standards as demanded by humanity elsewhere, especially in the developed economies and emerging markets. We may have been able to survive all these years because revenues were coming from oil and gas. The plain truth is that the boom era of huge oil revenues is gradually coming to an end. It is a painful reality which, coincidentally, presents us a unique opportunity to innovate and do things differently. We must, therefore, embrace a new paradigm of development by harnessing opportunities elsewhere, especially in agriculture, to rapidly diversify the national economy for inclusive growth and sustainable development.
- The glaring and best alternative is agriculture, with emphasis on self sufficiency in our local staples, modernization, value addition, and agro exports to the rest of the world by ensuring that we satisfy the prescribed international standards and receive certification to enhance global acceptance of our agricultural commodities/ produce and non-oil exports. Indeed, if Sub Saharan African Countries such as Ghana , Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya , South Africa, to mention just a few, are exporting fruits, vegetables and other agricultural commodities to countries across the world, the time for us to get serious and follow suit is now. We must develop zero tolerance for the transportation of sub-standard produce within and out of the country by land, air and sea through circumventing certification and quality control compliance checks, and indulging in bribery and other unhealthy, unethical and despicable acts in our desperate need to cheat the system, weaken its institutions, thereby rendering them less effective.
- It must be remembered that by our reckless indifference in the past, we had actually endangered the health of our customers locally and abroad. This misadventure is already hurting us by limiting our opportunities to have an expanded market for our agro exports, which ordinarily should easily have come our way. This is why we are taking urgent and decisive steps to close the confidence gap to enable us increase the market share of our agro and non-oil exports to Europe and other parts of the world where our commodities/products are still in huge demand, in spite of the present challenges.
- In order to stem the tide, henceforth, government will come down hard on the culprits by naming and shaming individuals and agencies failing to abide by laid down regulations on standards and quality control. In the spirit of anti-corruption and beneficial change for national redemption, we shall not spare the offenders for causing our beloved nation avoidable losses and unnecessary embarrassment through export of sub-standard products. In this connection, Government will ensure that, henceforth, all exporters of agricultural produce/food items follow the rules by complying with the prescribed global standards. We shall ensure that we make quarantine services available everyday in all our airports and seaports. We shall strengthen our oversight regulatory authorities to enable them live up to their respective mandates. We shall increase investment in the enabling/supportive infrastructure and services for ensuring quality control, certification and standardization.
- The next stage of this process is the presentation of the validated national strategy for a single quality control management for zero reject of our agricultural commodities and produce, as well as non-oil exports, to His Excellency, Yemi Osinbajo, GCON, Vice-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, for further review, consolidation and approval for implementation and enforcement. As key stakeholders and strategic partners, I assure you that we shall all find adequate space in the implementation of this new national strategy, in line with the approved governance architecture, procedures, processes and delineated responsibilities for a zero reject of our agricultural commodities/produce and non-oil exports, not only within but also across and beyond the whole and boundaries of government. To us all gathered here this morning, therefore, the work has just begun. I trust that you will continue to champion this worthy and patriotic cause of ensuring zero reject of our agricultural commodities/produce and non-oil exports in your respective jurisdictions bearing in mind that until the battle is won, we cannot afford to concede any single territory to our adversaries.
- I thank you for your kind attention, and God bless you.
Chief Audu Ogbeh
Honourable Minister
Agriculture & Rural Development
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