FG targets improved non-oil exports  — News — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

The Federal Government is charting new ways to improve sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) compliance to boost non-oil exports.

Focusing on sesame and cowpea produce, both critical pillars of the economy, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said both produce contribute significantly to Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, and provide livelihoods for thousands of smallholder farmers across producing states.

Speaking yesterday at the validation meeting of the baseline study report on sesame and cowpea under the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) 845 Project Validation Workshop that had in attendance the Executive Director, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni, SPS experts from Geneva, international pesticide experts and other industry stakeholders, Oduwole recalled that the project was launched in March 2024 by World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

She said the ministry’s 2025 outlook mandates that all exportable food products comply with international safety standards, emphasising the importance of supporting export compliance and standardisation in partnership with relevant ministries.

Her words: “The strategic recommendations outlined today are designed to secure our position in the global market, ensuring that Nigerian exports not only meet but exceed the rigorous demands of international trade.”

The minister said the most populous black nation is the fourth largest producer of sesame globally, with Japan alone representing 40 per cent of the country’s sesame exports.

She added: “Yet, challenges, stringent border controls, driven by excessive pesticide residues and microbial contamination, have led to numerous consignments being rejected. Our data, as detailed in our recent report at the Check-in, reveal tangible figures: volumes, values and documented instances of seizures and penalties, that underscore the severe impact on our export performance and Nigeria’s standing among global exporters.

“Japan’s threatened ban on our sesame exports due to paraquat residue thresholds effective March 2025, calls for our immediate response, and we are working assiduously to
mitigate this action.”

The minister noted that in 2023, the country’s sesame exports reached $427.9 million, with major export destinations, including China (29.8 per cent), Japan (20.5 per cent), India (12.7per cent), the European Union (11.1 per cent), and Türkiye (10.1 per cent).

However, recurring rejections, particularly in Japan, have dipped non-oil export earnings.

She added that their findings show that Nigerian sesame and cowpea exports are increasingly being rejected due to non-compliance with international standards.

Urging the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) to work hand-in-hand with the ministry through the NEPC to establish a robust National Traceability System (NTS) by engaging partners like Bureau Veritas, NICERT, ECOCERT and Cotecna, Oduwole urged streamlining of all inspection and certification processes, including NAFDAC’s health certificates, NAQS’s certificates, and FPIS inspections, to promote a high standard not just for export products, but also for domestic markets, as well as ensuring stringent enforcement.

She said they were working towards lifting the Japan ban within the next 90 days and re-entering the Japanese market by July, as well as ensuring the “sustained growth of our non-oil exports.”

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