By Deborah Hassan
As part of moves by the Federal Government to improve the quality of Nigerian goods produced for export, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the National Quality Control policy.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, said this while briefing State House Correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.
Adebayo expressed confidence that the policy would ensure Nigerian-made goods are up to global standards for export.
He also said the government would partner with the private sector to set up quality testing centres and laboratories to approve goods that have met the required standard.
Adebayo said, “For a long time, Nigerian exporters have been suffering because of lack of quality of their goods.
“We felt that it was high time we actually have a policy which will create a situation whereby standard of the Nigerian goods that are exported would be raised such that that rejection would stop.
“This policy will create a situation whereby the government and the private sector will be able to collaborate to set up quality testing centres, testing labs which we hope will have accreditation with international centres, such that any goods that has approved to have met the standard, would be of international standard,” Adebayo said.
Other approvals made by FEC, the Minister added, include the ratification of the Nigerian/Hungarian Trade Agreement, which will enable Nigerian goods to be exported to Hungary; approval of a N50 Million Power contract in the Kano Free Trade Zone on behalf of the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority and another contract for the purchase of a property in Lagos to be used as the Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority’s zonal office.