daniel chigunweAccording to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Nigeria as a food producer is fast becoming a sub-par player on the global stage owing to the poor sanitary conditions of its products.
The group recently highlighted the risks Nigeria faces should it continue to neglect standard practices and the need for quick solutions. The Director-General of the WTO had a lot to say on the subject.
As seen in the Nigerian newspaper, The Punch, the WTO noted that although Nigeria has vast arable lands and huge agricultural investments the country has become a net importer of agricultural products that it can grow itself, hindering the likelihood of food sustainability. This anomaly was highlighted by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the WTO in Abuja, during the launch of seven trade support programs initiated by the WTO-ITC to boost the development of Nigeria’s trade and industry standards.
These seven programs include the Standards Trade Development Facility, Digital Trade Initiative support, Women Exporters Entrepreneurship support, National Trade Portal and Cotton Development Initiative.
They are designed to ensure food security in developing countries, tackle the issues posed by the digital trade gap in e-commerce, and create a state-of-the-art technological hub in Nigeria for all trade-related data and information.
“We are launching today with STDF, ITC, and the NEPC, a project to help with international safety and quality certification for sesame and cowpeas or black-eyed peas.
The agriculture sector in Nigeria has the potential to be a major driver of export diversification and job creation – but too much of this potential remains unrealised, due to a variety of barriers. Business Insider Africa
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu