By Justus Adetomiwa
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control(NAFDAC), has reviewed long-standing hurdles that previously discouraged local producers from formal registration.
A senior official of the Agency, Mrs. Naurat Aliyu, made this revelation while delivering a lecture at a sensitisation programme in Akure, Ondo State capital at the weekend.
Aliyu, who addressed participants at the programme on the mandate of the agency, stated that the new framework now accommodates micro-scale businesses with as few as five employees and a properly adapted building, even if small.
She explained that many Nigerians possessed the talent to produce quality indigenous goods, but were hindered by the cost and complexity of meeting full-scale industrial standards.
“Micro-scale products are truly the backbone of the economy of a developing country. But going by our mandate, many small producers suffered bottlenecks in trying to meet requirements meant for larger factories,” she said.
According to her, NAFDAC has now created simplified categories such as micro-scale and nano-scale to encourage small entrepreneurs to enter the market with compliant and safe products.
She revealed that registration fees have also been drastically reduced.
“For food products under micro-scale, registration is now ₦40,000, while populated items attract ₦42,000. We believe this is affordable for most small producers,” she added.
Aliyu further disclosed that the agency has adopted a digital platform NAFDAC Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS), which allows manufacturers to upload documents and process registration from anywhere, including from their homes.
However, she stressed that certain requirements remain compulsory, including: A CAC-registered company, Tax Identification Number (TIN); Medical fitness certificates for staff, a clean, regulated production environment and evidence of proper sanitation and equipment hygiene.
She noted that many applicants complain about delays without checking NAFDAC’s Compliance Directive section, where the agency often highlights errors in submitted documents.
“Some people say their products have been there for 30 days, but if you check, we have already notified them of corrections to make. If you don’t respond, the delay is not from us,” she said.
Aliyu assured attendees that once documents are complete and corrections made promptly, registration could be concluded in as little as one hour.
“Our goal is to ensure you register your product, manage it well, sell in Nigeria and even export across borders. For us, customer who calls, gets service immediately,” she said.