Indications have emerged that fresh moves are underway to return the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, SON, and the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, to the ports and Nigeria’s border by the Federal Government, in what will be deemed as a reversal of its earlier decision to restriction stance.
An official of the Ministry of Industries, Trade and Investment who disclosed this to Vanguard said last weekend that the efforts which were muted last year was stalled by the crises that followed the emergence of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Nigeria which disrupted many government activities. He said that as soon as the National Assembly resumes from recess the members driving the process would return to it while the executive arm is expected to cooperate with the effort. He also stated that the reversal of the decision would align with the efforts of the government to realign the economy against the impact of COVID-19.
Earlier decisions of the lower chamber of the National Assembly indicated that the two key agencies are needed at the seaports and borders to fight the influx of sub-standard and life-endangering goods into the country. The House of Representatives has mandated its committee on finance to meet and liaise with the Minister of Finance on the urgent need of SON and NAFDAC to return to the ports and borders in order to check the influx of sub-standard goods/life-endangering goods into the country. The motion on this was moved by the minority leader, HON. Ndudi Elumelu representing AnaochaSouth/Anaocha North/Oshimili South federal constituency of Delta State.
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Entitled” Need for the federal government to rescind its decision to restrict the SON and NAFDAC from all ports and borders as part of the strategies to effectively check the influx of sub-standard good in the country”, the House stated that no other agency can carry out the statutory functions of SON and NAFDAC, maintaining that the functions of quality assurance cannot be interchanged with any other sister agency. Members of the organised private sector especially local manufactures have continued to lament the adverse impact of sub-standard imported products on Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic development. The House also noted that ‘’whereas the SON and NAFDAC Acts expressly provided that the Agencies shall have a right of access at a reasonable time to any premises, including all Nigeria Seaports, airports and land borders where an industrial or commercial undertaking is being carried on, and may use reasonable force if need be to gain entry, but the Agencies, since November 2011, have been withdrawn from all ports and borders on the orders of the Federal Government.
‘’Further notes that since the expulsion of SON and NAFDAC from all ports and borders, there has been unabated importation of substandard products into the country by unpatriotic Nigerians, and this itself is one of the highest forms of corruption and threat to national security. ‘’Concerned that the ministerial directives withdrawing SON and NAFDAC from the ports and borders was done without taking cognizance of the compelling need for the Agencies to be at all ports and borders in line with the requirements of the law; ‘’Aware that the reasons for the withdrawal of the SON, NAFDAC and other agencies of the government canvassed by the minister of Finance in 2011, was the slowing down of the clearing of goods at the ports and borders, however, it is pertinent to note that those reasons are no longer tenable as clearance of goods are now done electronically in support of the diversification of the economy in line with the presidential directive on the ease of doing business. ‘’Also aware that apart from the countries that have established the single window platforms for inspection and clearing of goods at their ports and borders, all other countries have their standards bodies at the ports and borders to enable them to prevent the influx of counterfeit and substandard goods.’
‘’Further aware that the need for the physical presence of SON and NAFDAC at the point of inspection seeks to complement the shortcomings of the electronic clearance, since it is impossible to assess or ascertain the quality of goods being cleared electronically1‘’Worried that no other agency can carry out the statutory functions of SON and NAFDAC on their behalf at the ports and borders, as their function of quality assurance cannot be interchanged with any other sister agency, the House resolved to: Urge the executive arm of the government to rescind the order, thereby allowing SON and NAFDAC in carrying out their statutory mandates especially as it relates to checking the influx and circulation of substandard and life-endangering products into Nigeria; and mandate the Committee on Finance to interface with the minister of Finance on the urgent need for SON and NAFDAC to return to the ports and borders as part of the strategy required to effectively check the unprecedented influx of substandard/ life-endangering products into the country.’’
