The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reiterated its commitment to supporting Nano, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (NMSMEs) in Nigeria, saying they are crucial to the nation’s economic transformation.
The Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made the pledge at a meeting organized by the Lagos State Office of the Agency with operators of NMSMEs in the country’s commercial capital.
“We remain committed to meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the business community,” Prof. Adeyeye said, adding that subjecting their processes and products to regulatory scrutiny is crucial for their businesses’ gains and positive impact.
She also empathized with the small business owners, saying, “When I see you, I see myself because I was raised trading with my mother, with my grandmother selling things. I know how hard it is to put money together and trade.”
According to Prof. Adeyeye, NMSMEs drive Nigeria’s economy, noting that the sub-sector sustained the economy during the turbulent times of the recession a few years ago.
The DG emphasized that NAFDAC does not take NMSMEs’ matters lightly, especially because three of the Agency’s mandates – food, packaged water, and cosmetics – fall under NMSMEs.
She urged operators of NMSMEs to focus on one product that is well accepted by consumers rather than manufacturing many products at the same time, where none would perform well in the market.
“Don’t make five products at a time, please. You can try it and the one that is fast you can focus on that and make it great,” she said.
Prof. Adeyeye also encouraged NMSME operators to dream big by entering the global market with their products, emphasizing the commercial benefits and opportunities that come with subjecting their goods to regulatory scrutiny.
She assured them of NAFDAC’s continued support and necessary guidance for business owners who are desirous of entering the marketplace with NAFDAC-regulated products.
The NAFDAC boss disclosed that the Agency is already in talks with the United Kingdom Department of Business and Trade to build a bilateral relationship whereby Nigerian products exported to the United Kingdom will be of quality, having been registered and certified by NAFDAC.
She regretted the incidence of rejected food exports from Nigeria at the point of entry due to bad quality, stressing that if such food items were subjected to NAFDAC scrutiny, the incidents of rejected food exports from Nigeria would have been greatly curtailed.
In conclusion, the NAFDAC DG assured NMSMEs of the Agency’s unwavering commitment to their growth and development, emphasizing that the staff of the Agency are being trained not to compromise and to hold customers in high esteem based on a quality management system.
The Lagos State Office of the Agency also put together some informative presentations for the entrepreneurs’ benefit, demonstrating what exists as well as NAFDAC regulatory expectations across the board. As Prof. Adeyeye put it, “We will provide you with the necessary guidance and support.”
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