On Thursday, the 18th July, 2024, Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) conducted a comprehensive review of the 90-day Regulatory Reform Accelerator (RRA) initiative. The meeting addressed the challenges faced and discussed the way forward to ensure the effective implementation of reforms.
The Comptroller General (CG) Dr. Vincent Isegbe emphasized the importance of sustaining the reforms achieved. He highlighted a critical issue where the absence of NAQS at departure points at airports and seaports (exit points) has led to an increase in rejection incidents. The CG noted that other sister agencies often proceed without adequately involving NAQS officers, resulting in goods travelling without proper inspection and certification. The CG emphasized that similar incidents led to the ban of export of cowpea from Nigeria to EU and several other rejections that continue to embarrass our dear country. This he insists must be nip in the bud.
To address these concerns, the CG expressed the need for the Office of the Vice President and the PEBEC Secretariat to review these issues and ensure seamless collaboration among all relevant agencies. This, he believes, will mitigate the frequent rejection problems and enhance the overall efficiency of the inspection and certification process.
Furthermore, the CG informed the PEBEC Secretariat team that following the recently concluded 90-day RRA, the NAQS has decided to look inward and engage in discussions focusing on areas of weakness and potential improvement. This proactive approach aims to strengthen the agency’s capabilities and improve the quality of service delivery.
The CG further assured all and sundry that NAQS remains committed to working closely with PEBEC and other stakeholders to overcome these challenges and foster a more enabling business environment for all.