FMLD, BSI Begin UK-Funded Programme to Strengthen Standards, Trade

News in Brief:

— Nigeria's livestock ministry and the British Standards Institution are working on a new programme to strengthen quality, certification and standards systems.

— The initiative covers stronger residue testing, disease control, export certification and border verification to meet international requirements and access global markets.

Nigeria is seeking to strengthen the standards and certification systems governing its livestock sector as the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development begins a new UK-funded programme with the British Standards Institution (BSI).

The Grow Job and Trade Standards Programme is designed to improve Nigeria’s quality and standards systems and expand market access for livestock and livestock products.

The engagement between the Ministry and BSI began recently, following the completion of a three-year Standards Partnership Programme, also funded by the United Kingdom.

This initiative will focus on strengthening institutional collaboration for quality assurance, standards, certification, and trade. It will include executing Nigeria’s National Quality Policy.

Livestock Exports Face Standards Requirements

For Nigeria to expand its livestock exports, producers and exporters must demonstrate that their products meet the safety, quality and animal health requirements of destination markets.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, said the new programme should address several issues affecting Nigeria’s ability to compete in international livestock markets.

These include sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements, export certification, disease control, residue monitoring and laboratory testing.

She said Nigerian livestock and livestock products would need to consistently meet internationally recognised standards if the country is to compete effectively in global markets.

The focus is particularly relevant for products such as meat, eggs, fish and honey, where concerns around residues, contaminants and animal health can determine whether products are accepted or rejected by importing markets.

Residue Testing Could Strengthen Export Confidence

Akujobi called for effective residue monitoring plans covering livestock products such as honey, eggs, fish and meat.

Residue monitoring is used to detect potentially harmful substances, including pesticide residues and heavy metals, in food and animal products.

The Permanent Secretary said strengthening domestic testing capacity would provide greater assurance that Nigerian livestock products are safe and comply with international requirements.

For exporters, reliable domestic testing can also reduce uncertainty around certification and help demonstrate compliance before products reach foreign markets.

A stronger testing system could therefore support both consumer safety within Nigeria and the credibility of Nigerian products abroad.

Disease-Free Zones, Proper Documentation Could Open New Markets

The Ministry also highlighted the importance of establishing disease-free zones and compartments.

Akujobi said international trading partners require credible evidence that animals and animal products meet prescribed animal health requirements before granting market access.

Disease-free zones and compartments can provide a framework for demonstrating that livestock from defined areas meet specific animal health conditions.

For Nigeria, developing such systems could help address one of the barriers to accessing markets where animal health requirements are stringent.

The initiative therefore goes beyond product quality and involves strengthening the systems used to prevent, monitor and certify animal diseases.

The Permanent Secretary also called for stronger coordination among government agencies responsible for quality control, certification, inspection and trade.

She specifically highlighted the need for greater interoperability among agencies operating at Nigerian ports, particularly in the verification of certificates.

According to Akujobi, stronger coordination could improve border controls and reduce the risk of exported products being rejected because of inadequate or inconsistent documentation.

This is important because an export system is only as strong as the coordination between the institutions responsible for inspecting, certifying and clearing products.

Improving the flow and verification of information between agencies could therefore reduce administrative bottlenecks while strengthening confidence in Nigerian certification.

Improving Livestock Value Chain

Akujobi said efforts to increase livestock exports must take a value-chain approach rather than focus solely on certification at the point of export.

She identified production, processing, storage, transportation, quality assurance, certification and market access as interconnected areas requiring attention.

Weaknesses in any of these stages can affect the quality and competitiveness of livestock products.

For example, stronger production systems may not translate into export growth if products subsequently face inadequate cold storage, poor transportation, weak laboratory testing or certification delays.

The Ministry therefore wants interventions under the programme to address its priority areas across the livestock value chain.

BSI Project Manager and Team Lead Riccardo Benvenuti said the organisation had begun the programme as a collaborative initiative with the Ministry.

He said BSI was not approaching the programme with predetermined solutions. Instead, it will work with the ministry to understand its priorities, identify key challenges and determine where BSI’s technical expertise can provide practical and sustainable support.

The approach is intended to ensure that the programme responds to Nigeria’s existing institutional and sectoral needs rather than applying a standardised model.

The engagement builds on the previous three-year Standards Partnership Programme funded by the UK.

Stronger Standards to Boost Livestock Trade

The renewed partnership comes as Nigeria seeks to increase the livestock sub-sector's contribution to food security, employment and trade.

Improving livestock production alone will not guarantee access to international markets. Exporters also need systems capable of demonstrating that products meet destination-country requirements for safety, quality and animal health.

This makes standards infrastructure an important part of agricultural trade.

Stronger laboratories, residue monitoring, disease surveillance, certification systems and coordinated border controls could make it easier for Nigerian exporters to meet these requirements.