Following the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, two Federal Government agencies have warned that Nigeria will become a dumping ground for agro products from other African nations if the country fails to introduce quarantine checks at all its airports.
The AfCFTA Nigeria office and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, both agencies of the Federal Government, warned that the seeming absence of quarantine checks at some points of entry into the country would lead to the infiltration of unwholesome products.
In separate interviews with our correspondent, senior officials of both agencies noted that for the AfCFTA to succeed in Nigeria, the adequate screening of agro-produce, which formed the bulk of the imports and exports, must be taken seriously.
The AfCFTA came into force on January 1, 2021 and Nigeria has been making moves to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the continental trade programme. The Director-General, NAQS, Vincent Isegbe, said, “For AfCFTA to be successful, the quarantine service must necessarily be at all the entry and exit points across the country.
