NIGERIA – The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control NAFDAC has slashed the registration fees for food and products by business outfits by 50%.

The acting Director General, Mr. Ademola Mogbojuri, who disclosed this in Minna, Niger state on Monday, said that the decision was to boost manufacturing of goods and other businesses in the country.

Speaking at a Stakeholders Consultative Forum for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMSE), Mogbojuri said the new initiative was also in support of the federal government’s initiative on Ease of Doing Business.

Represented by Alhaji Abubakar Jimoh, NAFDAC Director of Special Duties, Mogbojuri said the free waivers on inspection, laboratory analysis and expert license granted to exporters of regulated products as well reduced in fees charged for registration of locally manufactured regulatory products were also to encourage business outfits in the country.

He disclosed that the agency had begun the listing of products for a period of two years renewable afterwards adding that some minor and small businesses would be registered at zonal levels to ease the bottleneck experienced in the past.

Mogbojuri insisted that the measures were also aimed at promoting small and medium enterprises and would assist businesses to grow in the country.

He emphasised that the agency had keyed into the federal governments change agenda for the diversification of national economy.

He warned staff of the agency to avoid frustrating the registration, adding that registration of packaged water had now been reviewed to 90 days while that of bakery was 30 days.

In his address, the Niger state Coordinator of the agency, Mr. Isah Ibrahim stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to enable the issues of health safety succeed.

Ibrahim however appealed to those seeking approvals from the agency to always submit their applications in good time and to follow due process.

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