FG Launches Interministerial Committee to Clean Up Agro-Exports and Stop Massive Global Trade Losses

The Federal Government has taken a decisive step to rescue the nation’s agricultural export sector from recurring international rejection, inaugurating a high-powered Interministerial Committee designed to overhaul quality assurance and biosecurity.

The committee, unveiled during a strategic stakeholders’ meeting at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in Abuja, brings together representatives from key ministries, regulatory agencies, research institutions, and agricultural associations. The urgent intervention follows growing concerns over farm produce being turned back at foreign borders due to non-compliance with global food safety standards, excessive chemical residues, and procedural delays.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Deborah Odoh, emphasized that Nigeria must protect its agricultural resources and elevate its standing in global trade. She noted that the country can no longer tolerate avoidable economic setbacks resulting from sub-standard export processing.

“Nigeria can no longer afford the losses associated with the rejection of agricultural exports due to non-compliance with international standards,” Dr. Deborah Odoh stated during the inauguration. “This interministerial committee is established to provide the vital coordination needed to remove institutional bottlenecks, improve compliance with global sanitary and phytosanitary standards, and position Nigeria as a reliable exporter of safe, high-quality agricultural products.”

Industry experts have repeatedly pointed out that challenges such as the indiscriminate use of unauthorized pesticides, poor drying practices, and inadequate phytosanitary certifications have severely limited the global reach of Nigerian cash crops and food exports.

The newly formed committee is tasked with harmonizing regulatory frameworks across various government bodies, closing enforcement gaps at local farming and packaging levels, and equipping the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service with the robust operational backing required to certify commodities before they hit international shipping lanes.

By aggressively closing compliance gaps and tightening quality control from the grassroots to the port terminals, the Federal Government hopes to restore international trust in the “Made-in-Nigeria” brand, safeguard foreign exchange earnings, and open profitable new doors for local farmers and agribusinesses.