Dr. Vincent Isegbe, the Comptroller General (CG) of the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), received the Aviation Cargo Road Map Development Committee in his office on Wednesday, the 14th of August, 2024. This Committee was formed to boost the aviation cargo (Aviacargo) industry in Nigeria by addressing challenges such as time delays, which often result in the damage and rejection of agricultural commodities. Members of the Committee are from the Cargo Value Chain Ecosystem, encompassing the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), FAAN, NEPC, NAFDAC, and SON.
During the meeting, the Committee presented insights from their domestic and international engagements, particularly in Kenya, Ghana, and other African countries. The Committee expressed plans to pilot the export of agricultural produce by air in Nigeria, adhering to a similar, efficient timeline benchmarked against other countries. The pilot export program is scheduled for October, with the CG of NAQS and the MD of FAAN obliged to be present throughout the process to ensure its success.
Before concluding, the CG noted that NAQS has taken the initiative to produce a comprehensive export certification value chain for 30 commodities, further streamlining the process and ensuring compliance with international standards.
In his conclusion, the CG thanked the Committee for their efforts and highlighted the initiatives NAQS has undertaken to ensure agro commodities entering or leaving the country meet global standards. He emphasized the critical role of the export certification process, citing past instances where NAQS intervened and resolved issues with exporters who had not followed due procedures.