CBN Joins Forces With IITA, Others To Stop Nigerian Crops Rejection

The Central Bank of Nigeria is joining forces with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), government agencies, and private firms to stop the rejection of crops produced in Nigeria by other nations.

The bodies disclosed efforts being made by them to ensure zero rejection of Nigerian crops in a communique issued at the end of a one-day workshop organised in Abuja by Harvest Field Industries Limited and IITA aimed at sharing results of aflatoxin levels in maize sampled nationwide under the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme 2020 Wet Season Project.

The communique said, “Also, it (the workshop) is to prompt concerted efforts towards the adoption of appropriate technologies for the reduction of aflatoxin in our crops, food, feeds, and livestock as required by global food quality standards.

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“Reduced aflatoxin prevalence will contribute tremendously towards achieving zero rejection of our export commodities and ensure food safety in Nigeria.”

other participants at the workshop included the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.

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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the Federal Ministry of Health, Value Seeds Limited, Maize Association of Nigeria, National Groundnut Producers Processors, and Marketers Association of Nigeria, among others, also participated in the workshop.

During the technical session, participants at the workshop recommended that the inter-ministerial committee on aflatoxin regulation and enforcement of food safety laws in Nigeria should be revived in addition to calls for the enactment of technical policy regulating the testing and enforcement of allowable aflatoxin limits in food and feed processing and distribution industries, among others.