NEPC ex director advocates stronger Associations for produce certifications

A former director, National Export Promotion Council ( NEPC) Chief Williams Ezeagu has advanced that commodity Associations should be well supported to be strong enough to ensure standard certification of all agricultural produce in Nigeria.

Chief Williams Ezeagu argued that a well grounded commodity Associations like like Potato Farmers of Nigeria ( POFAN) would be able to effectively monitor its members for standard productivity through best agricultural practices with well funding from the Government. 

He went further that the policies of government in agriculture will be well complimented with proactive commodity associations towards standard certification and sustainability.

Chief Ezeagu who was among the recently awardees by POFAN in an exclusive interview with Food Farm News said that Government's readiness to fund private organizations in the production, processing and packaging of produce/ products would go a long way to achieve competitive standard certification towards export markets, adding this what made many advanced countries different from us.

According to him, commodity Associations are in better position to monitor their members towards standard productivity, and that is why government must be ready to support them to achieve more economic earnings through more earnings through export as being done in other foreign countries.

He pointed out that Nigeria needs to up her game as regards ensuring standard certification in view of competition the African Free Continental Trade Zone will pose to our commodities in relation with countries like South Africa, Egypt and others who had already met international standard with functional structures.

He advocated for a market well monitor that cannot just allow anybody without Associations' certification to enter, adding this was what POFAN is doing by registering its members, teaching them good agricultural practices to standard certification for competitive market.

Chief Ezeagu, presently a director at Marbles and Gardens said his company is very passionate about be overseeing and ensuring Nigeria produce meeting standard against export rejection.