The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has partnered with the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment to address anomalies in the food export system.
In order to achieve successful transformation, the partnership is also anticipated to stimulate initiatives to unlock the healthcare value chain.
Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, said this in Abuja on Wednesday.As Dr. Muhammad Pate, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, paid her a courtesy call at her office, Oduwole said.
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, was also present on the courtesy visit.
In order to support President Bola Tinubu in his agenda for changing the nation, Pate stated that the issues had been lingering between the ministries and needed to be addressed effectively.
He also stated that the issues were significant to the two ministries.
“This meeting is bringing two sectors that are ordinarily not closely connected. But there are specific things that have prompted me to reach out, which has to do with the exportation of food and its regulation. The second element is the role of the regulatory body, NAFDAC, in constraining or enabling the trade that we have across various borders.
“The third issue is the regulatory function links to our efforts to unlock the healthcare value chain. These are issues that have been lingering, and I thought we should use this opportunity to come together since we are all on the same team,” he said.
According to the minister, the goal was to make sure Nigeria made significant progress in those areas over time.
In response, Oduwole stated that both ministries would begin focusing on areas related to unlocking the healthcare value chain.
According to her, the problems were really important and needed to be addressed with practical solutions.
“I was briefed about the draft policy and medical devices of syringe and needles manufacturing in Nigeria.
“We have to identify the areas and resolutions, and to identify areas of the ministry’s concern on the draft policy document and were we supposed to emit in further meeting with my ministry.
“The meeting is to discuss how to deliberate on the merit and demerit of the policy, as well as the issues of manufacturing. They are indeed under the eight-point agenda of Mr. President,” she said.
According to the NAFDAC D G, Nigerians must adopt a new perspective on exporting goods, and those regulatory bodies must properly regulate.
She claims that the effort will lessen the humiliation of having our items rejected.
Mr. Temiloluwa Oluokun, the Technical Aide to the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, had previously listed a few of the problems that still plague the ministry.
He claimed that the denomination of permit payments in Naira was one of the problems with the regulatory reform program.
“Some elements of those fees are not denominated in local currency.
“It is good to progressively shift all the fees to the local currency to protect our exporters from exchange rate altogether,” he said.
“It is good to progressively shift all the fees to the local currency to protect our exporters from exchange rate altogether,” he said.
According to Oluokun, the timeframe for processing certificates and private sector involvement was another persistent problem that needed immediate correction.
“The recommendations are clear to revisit the export regulation 2024 with very wide industry consultation to balance oversight with efficiency altogether,” he said.
The health ministry was asked to help train some officials on the usage of equipment to address the persistent pesticide residues in sesame seeds by Mr. Dafang Sule, Director of the Federal Produce Inspectorate Service.
According to NAN, following extensive discussion, the two ministries decided to form a team to deal with the issues raised.
In order to evaluate and review the issues for a final settlement, they stated that the team would set up a meeting shortly.