NAQS Leads Stakeholder Dialogue to Strengthen Safe Fruit Importation and Boost Nigeria’s Agricultural Trade
Abuja & Nationwide, Nigeria — The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) is taking proactive steps to modernize agricultural trade procedures by hosting a stakeholders’ dialogue on safe and compliant fruit importation — an initiative that supports food safety, boosts export potential, and strengthens Nigeria’s agricultural trade ecosystem.
In late January 2026, NAQS convened importers, freight agents, regulatory officials and produce distributors in Abuja for a strategic engagement on safe fruit importation into Nigeria. The dialogue — organized by NAQS’s Directorate of Plant, Animal and Aquatic Quarantine Services — focused on enhancing understanding of sanitary and phytosanitary standards, documentation protocols, and compliance requirements for fresh produce arriving via land, sea, or air terminals.
The engagement aims to ensure that fresh fruits and other perishable agricultural commodities meet international and domestic safety standards before reaching consumers, thereby protecting public health, preventing pest and disease incursions, and fostering confidence among international trading partners.
Why This Initiative Matters for Nigeria’s Economy and Food Security
- Strengthening Trade Compliance: By clarifying regulatory expectations for fruit importers and freight forwarders, NAQS is reducing barriers to entry and ensuring that agricultural imports comply with international sanitary and phytosanitary requirements — a core element of trade facilitation and export readiness.
- Boosting Agricultural Value Chains: Transparent and consistent quarantine procedures help both importers and local value chain actors to reduce processing delays at ports of entry, lowering costs and increasing competitiveness.
- Protecting Public Health: Enforcement of sound quarantine protocols helps prevent the introduction of pests and diseases that can threaten Nigeria’s farms, livestock, and food systems — advancing food safety and national resilience.
NAQS’s media and communication unit also emphasized that stakeholder engagement events like this one are part of a broader strategy to strengthen partnerships across the agricultural sector, encouraging open dialogue between regulatory authorities, business operators, and civil society stakeholders.
According to official updates from NAQS’s website, the service continues to host regular engagements and awareness sessions aimed at improving quarantine compliance across all agricultural product categories, including fruits, vegetables, and other perishables.
Impact for Nigeria’s Agricultural Trade and Food Security Goals
By driving regulatory clarity and encouraging compliance with safe import practices, NAQS is playing a pivotal role in advancing Nigeria’s agricultural trade policy, which aligns with national priorities for economic diversification, food security, and private sector participation. These efforts contribute to building trust in Nigerian food systems and enhancing the country’s credibility as an agribusiness hub in Africa.
