ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government has inaugurated a Technical Working Group (TWG) on Agricultural Produce Residue Standards in a bid to tackle the persistent rejection of Nigerian agricultural exports in international markets over food safety and residue compliance issues.
The initiative, unveiled in Abuja on Monday, is aimed at addressing concerns surrounding excessive pesticide residues, contaminants and other sanitary requirements that have led to the rejection of several Nigerian agricultural products abroad. Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the move reflects the government’s commitment to improving food safety standards and strengthening Nigeria’s position in global agricultural trade. He noted that export rejections have resulted in financial losses, weakened buyer confidence and reduced opportunities for farmers, exporters and agribusiness operators.
Okay News reports that the newly inaugurated group will bring together experts from government agencies, regulatory bodies, research institutions, academia, commodity associations, development partners and the private sector to develop solutions for improving compliance with international residue standards. Abdullahi said the panel is expected to formulate practical and sustainable recommendations that will enhance food safety, improve farmers’ adherence to safe pesticide practices and expand access for Nigerian produce to premium export markets.
The minister added that the work of the committee is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to ensure that agricultural production is accompanied by compliance with internationally accepted quality and safety standards. According to him, improving residue management will help safeguard public health, boost export earnings and reduce losses linked to market restrictions.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, represented by the Director of the Federal Department of Agriculture, Bukar Musa, described agriculture as a key driver of Nigeria’s economy but warned that repeated export rejections pose a serious threat to the country’s trade ambitions and the livelihoods of farmers and agribusiness operators.
Chairman of the Technical Working Group, Professor Lateef Oladimeji San, said the committee would review existing regulations, align national standards with international benchmarks and strengthen laboratory capacity for monitoring and enforcement. The group has also been tasked with identifying institutional and regulatory gaps, conducting surveys on pesticide residue levels in priority crops and submitting a comprehensive report to the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security within two months.
