OVERVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY
(SPS) STANDARDS AND CONSTRAINTS
IN NIGERIA
PRESENTED BY:
IBRAHIM NAIBBI
NATIONAL COORDINATOR FOR
NIGERIA
INTRODUCTION
Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Standards under
the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement
deals with regulatory measures applied to protect
human (food safety and zoonotic diseases),
animal and plant health with the aim of
harmonizing SPS measures such as control and
inspection procedures and risk assessment
methods and facilities of food and agricultural
products (raw, semi-processed and processed) in
international trade or supply chain.
SPS Regulatory Agencies
in Nigeria
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In Nigeria there is a multiplicity of agencies which
handle various aspects of SPS measures. These
agencies include the following:
The Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry which is
the focal point for WTO in Nigeria.
Federal Produce Inspection Service (FPIS), inspects and
ensures that all agricultural produce destined for
exports or local processing meets prescribed
international quality standards.
SPS Regulatory Agencies
in Nigeria Cont.
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Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) is the custodian
of all National and International Standards on Food
Safety in Nigeria. It coordinates the elaboration, review,
adoption and adaptation of food safety standards
through the active involvement of relevant stakeholders
and publishes the standards for implementation after
necessary stakeholder sensitization
SON has the capacity for and does training in ISO 22000
Food Safety Standards, HACCP and Good Agricultural
Practice (GAP) in Nigeria and has trained about 200
personnel nationally within the last three (3) years
SPS Regulatory Agencies
in Nigeria Cont
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Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMA&RD)
registers cocoa pesticides screened and recommended to it by the
Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria and enlists them in the official
approved lists of pesticides for use on cocoa in Nigeria.
The Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), has the national
mandate to evaluate and recommend novel cocoa pesticides from
various groups that fall within the European Union (EU) standards so
that replacement could be made easily in a situation where they
(recommended pesticides) become unavailable in the local market or
to combat resistance problems that may arise as a result of overdependence on a particular class of insecticides.
SPS Regulatory Agencies
in Nigeria Cont

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration
and Control (NAFDAC), controls and regulates
imports and exports of packaged, processed and
semi-processed foods through documentation,
inspection, registration, sampling, laboratory
testing and enforcement of compliance to good
Hygiene Practice (GHP) and Good Manufacturing
Practice (GMP) at food production factories. It also
serves as the chair and Secretariat of General
Purposes Committee of the National Codex
Committee.
The roles of the various agencies in the
implementation of SPS standards in
Nigeria

The Federal Ministry of Commerce and
Industry which represents the country in the
WTO is the focal point for all WTO issues
including SPS Standards in Nigeria. The
Ministry enforces SPS measures through its
parastatals, the Federal Produce Inspection
Service, Standards Organization of Nigeria
as well as other Government agencies.
The roles of the various agencies in the
implementation of SPS standards in
Nigeria Cont.

The Federal Produce Inspection Service (FPIS) conducts two-tier
mechanism of produce inspection. Primary grading and an evacuation
check test is carried out by trained officers of State Produce Inspection
Service (SPIS) who issue Evacuation Certificate. The FPIS on the other
hand, conducts arrival check tests taking into consideration inspection
of weight of the consignment, moisture content, inspection of
packaging, sampling and disinfestations of produce warehouses. It
further conducts inspection and quality controls at major seaports in
Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Warri and Calabar. Based on 3% sample, it
assesses the quality (Q), weight (W), fumigation (F) and packaging (P)
of raw or cured agricultural produce and issue QWFP Certificate. It
utilizes the laboratories of NAFDAC for quality assurance.
The roles of the various agencies in the
implementation of SPS standards in
Nigeria
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The Standards Organization of Nigeria, as custodian of
national and international standards of food safety in
Nigeria, undertakes factory inspection for the
implementation of food safety standards and issues
certification mark under the mandatory conformity
assessment program for all locally manufactured food
products in Nigeria. SON has a laboratory for testing
mycotoxin and is currently in the process of upgrading its
laboratories towards accreditation for micro and metallic
contaminants in food and agricultural produce. It is also the
Codex Alimentarius contact point in Nigeria and maintains a
national library of Codex standards. It is also WTO/SPS
enquiry points in Nigeria.
The roles of the various agencies in the
implementation of SPS standards in
Nigeria Cont.
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The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development implements SPS standards through
registration of recommended and screened
pesticides in Nigeria. The Ministry also enlists such
pesticides in the official approved list of pesticides
for use on cocoa in Nigeria. The Ministry then
forwards the registered approved pesticide lists to
NAFDAC so that they can issue import permits for
such products to importers.
The roles of the various agencies in the
implementation of SPS standards in
Nigeria Cont.
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Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) screens and
recommends pesticides for registration by the Federal
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. It also
evaluates the pesticides starting with product analysis,
laboratory and large scale field trials thereby determining
the quantitative residues of the active ingredient of these
pesticides in cocoa beans obtained from farms which had
been routinely spread with the pesticides. CRIN also
recommends cocoa pesticides application equipment to
ensure that they conform to international standards
The roles of the various agencies in the
implementation of SPS standards in
Nigeria Cont.
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Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS)
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The NAQS implements SPS standards in Nigeria through the
following ways:
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IMPORT INSPECTION
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Maintains over 46 entry/exit points at International airports,
seaports, land borders, general post offices and courier hub centres
for port inspection, treatment (if necessary) and detention.
Issues plant import permit for all plant materials (raw and semiprocessed), soil, biocontrol agents, solid wood packaging materials
and other regulated articles (e.g. artifacts).
The roles of the various agencies in the
implementation of SPS standards in
Nigeria Cont.
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Inspection of crops during active growth, agricultural
commodities in warehouses and storage facilities prior to
certification.
Maintains Post-Entry Quarantine Station and various
laboratories for insect, fungi, virus, bacteria, nematode
and tissue culture at Ibadan and zonal headquarters.
Conduct pest survey to monitor the presence and spread
of plant pest of quarantine importance.
The roles of the various agencies in the
implementation of SPS standards in
Nigeria Cont.
EXPORT INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION
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Handles request for Phytosanitary inspection for the
presence of pathogen and pests on agricultural commodities for
export and determines whether they meet SPS conditions of the
importing countries.
Issues Phytosanitary Certificate vouching that the
consignment is free from injurious pests.
Disinfestation of the consignments such as fumigation, seed
dressing, heat treatment etc. and indicated on the Phytosanitary
certificate.
The roles of the various agencies in the
implementation of SPS standards in
Nigeria Cont.
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OTHER SPS ACTIVITIES
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Formulation of quarantine regulation on crop by crop basis as guide
for plant imports.
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Conduct of Pest Risk Analysis to serve as technical justification of
SPS regulation.
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Formalize linkages with other SPS agencies and scientific
organization (e.g. national agric. research institutes, universities and
international organizations).
National Contact Point for International Plant Protection Commission
(IPPC) and member of Standard Setting Committee of IPPC.
The roles of the various agencies in the
implementation of SPS standards in
Nigeria Cont.
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National Agency for Food and Drug Control (NAFDAC) controls
and regulates imports and exports of packaged, processed and semiprocessed foods through documentation, inspection, registration,
sampling, laboratory testing and enforcement of compliance to Good
Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP);
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Regulates and controls the importation and exportation of pesticide
formulations and chemicals;
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Undertakes the registration of pesticide formulations and grants
marketing authorization to importers and manufacturers;
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Serves as the Chair of Codex in Nigeria and runs the Secretariat of the
General Purposes Technical Committee of the National Codex
Committee;
The roles of the various agencies in the
implementation of SPS standards in
Nigeria Cont.
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Attends to the following key SPS issues: Contaminants in Food,
Veterinary Drugs Residues, Pesticide Residues, Food Additives, Food
Hygiene and other issues such as Labeling, Nutrition, Methods of
Analysis and Sampling, Certification and Inspection, etc;
Has a dedicated pesticide formulation and pesticide residue laboratory;
Issues certificate of manufacture and free sales for registered regulated
products to exporters and Health Certificate for Semi Processed
Products and
Receives and handles RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed)
Notifications from EU
Challenges in Implementing SPS
standards in Nigeria
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Cross border smuggling of banned and unregistered pesticides and
agrochemicals through porous borders
Use of banned pesticides by farmers
Low literacy level of farmers
Use of faulty equipment for spraying
Wrong timing of application of pesticides
Overuse of pesticides/ calendar spraying
Chaotic pesticide distribution network
Inadequate capacity of staff of the government Agencies
Inadequate funding of government Agencies
Threat to lives of staff of Agencies involved in enforcement activities
Inadequate synergy amongst Agencies of government
Non organization of the players in horticultural and other agricultural products
into export oriented group
Challenges in Implementing SPS
standards in Nigeria Cont.
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Lack of implementation of standards on food and agricultural items, thereby
exposing the populace to low quality of products and invariably exportation of
poor quality products.
Private sector reluctant to or not empowered to take the lead or make
substantial investment by procuring modern facilities to improve their
production methods.
Poor awareness of the issues related to food safety, and quality and other SPS
issues by producers, exporters, farmers and commodity groups.
Difficulties in the application of internationally accepted standards such as
HACCP, traceability and GAP due to inadequate public amenities, poor
infrastructure, bureaucracy and poor government utilities (e.g. irregular power
supply, poor agricultural extension services)
Capacity Building on SPS Issues:
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In order to build capacity to effectively implement SPS issues in Nigeria,
workshops, seminars and conferences are being organized continually to
enhance competencies of enforcement officers. Among others are the
following:
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Capacity Evaluation of Nigeria. A study by West
Africa Trade Hub (WATH) under the West Africa Regional Program (WARP) of
USAID as a support towards the integration of the SPS systems of UEMOA
(Union Economique et Monetaire Quest Africaine) and non-UEMOA countries of
ECOWAS (Economic Community of West Africa) in March 2005.
Training workshop on food safety standards, regulations and export trade
incorporating HACCP and Traceability Principles and Practice was organized by
the Commonwealth Secretariat in May 2006 at Abuja, Nigeria for policy
advisers. Key SPS regulators, farmers and Commodity Associations.
Capacity Building on SPS Issues
Cont.
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A regional workshop on the harmonization of SPS for non-UEMOA
countries (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Conakry, Cape Verde, Gambia,
Ghana and Nigeria) held at ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, in May 2007
was organized by ECOWAS and sponsored by WATH of USAID.
Regional sensitization workshop on creation/strengthening of National
SPS Committee in the ECOWAS member states was held in Bamako,
Mali 28 February – March 5th, 2011.
National Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Standards workshop, as a
follow-up to Bamako workshop, sponsored by African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU/IBAR) in conjunction with
ECOWAS was held at Lagos from 23-25th May 2011.
Setting up of National Food Safety
Management Committee (NFSMC)
In order to bring harmony and synergy to
the chaotic SPS Standards implementation
situation in Nigeria,the National Food Safety
Management Committee was formed. The
Committee consists of key SPS public
regulators and private sector bodies with
adequate government backing.
Thank You