There are indications that Nigerians are now shipping their manufactured goods to Ghana to seek their certification to enable them to export to Europe, America, and Asia.
Vanguard gathered that this development was because the overseas markets are not comfortable with the certification of such goods by the Nigerian Government agencies.
According to some of the businessmen that spoke to Vanguard, the weak regulations and certification had led to the rejection of Nigerian cargo by many countries.
Recall that the federal government empowers National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC to certify and control the quality of drugs and foods consumed in the country while the Standard Organisation of Nigeria is in charge of the responsibility of ensuring the quality of both imported and produced goods in the country.
Attesting to this in Lagos when the Maritime Association of Nigeria, MARAN, paid a courtesy call to the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, KLT, Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the Customs Area Controller, CAC, Timi Bomodi, said it is true that Nigerian made goods are now being shipped to Ghana to seek their certification to have easy export.
Bomodi noted that the development has driven up the volume of Ghana’s export in recent times.
He stated: “If you do not operate under a set of rules and you do not define standards, then you are going to be defined by standards.
“Go to Ghana, when you travel to America, go to the African shops; you would see that 90 per cent of the things you see in those shops come from Ghana. Do you know what Nigerians do? Some goods that are produced in Nigeria are taken to Ghana to get Ghana certification before being exported”. (Vanguard)