Advancing Food and Feed Safety Modernization in Nigeria: A Journey of Collaboration and Innovation
In November 2023, participants from government agencies, industry, and civil society gathered to tackle a crucial challenge: ensuring the safety of food and animal feed in Nigeria. FAEA, in collaboration with its partners, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMHSW), the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the University of Missouri’s Africa Food Safety Initiative (AFSI), hosted a three-day workshop on Food and Feed Safety Expertise Coordination.
The workshop was attended by over 80 representatives from various Ministries, Department, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as the organized private sector and civil society partners. The event provided a platform for stakeholders to exchange insights and develop a multi-year roadmap for regulatory reform and implementation in the food and feed safety subsector.
Throughout the three-day event, participants engaged in expert panel discussions, presentations, break-out sessions, and plenary meetings. Several key decisions were reached:
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Commitment to Long-term Investment: The workshop underscored a long-term commitment by both public and private sectors to build capacity for food and feed safety in Nigeria.
02
Collaboration as a Key: Stakeholders recognized that collaboration is crucial to ensuring food and feed safety.
03
Implementation of Policies: The reviewed National Policy on Food Safety & Quality and its implementation plan, along with the passage of the National Food Safety and Quality Bill, will modernize the regulatory framework, enhancing public health protection and trade.
04
Formation of Technical Working Groups (TWGs): Four TWGs were recommended for inauguration
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Risk-based regulations and risk analysis in food and feed safety.
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Food and SPS (Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary) inspection.
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Education for all stakeholders and research.
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Traceability and supporting technologies.
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Expert Nominations: Nominations for TWG experts will be at the discretion of MDAs, NGOs and the organized private sector, based on established technical profiles.
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Inauguration of TWGs: Following the approval of the Honorable Minister, the TWGs will be inaugurated to advance their work.
07
Adoption of Submissions: The submissions on priority areas and identified capacity-building needs will guide the work of the TWGs.
The workshop concluded with a sense of accomplishment and determination to modernize Nigeria's food and feed safety systems. With the commitment of all stakeholders and the formation of TWGs, Nigeria is well on its way to achieving international standards in food safety, ultimately ensuring the health and well-being of its citizens and enhancing its position in global trade.