Nigeria has reached a pivotal milestone on its journey toward a modern, science-based food safety system!
As announced on LinkedIn by Oluwafemi (Femi) Stephen, National Food Safety Lead at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Nigeria (FMHSW), the National Food Safety Management Committee (NFSMC) has officially finalized and approved the “Integrated Guideline for Risk-Based Inspection of Food Markets and Land Border Crossing Points”.
In his post, Femi Stephen highlighted the power of this collaborative effort:
“Regulators from federal agencies, state ministries, LGAs, academia and technical partners worked side by side to harmonise inspection practices and strengthen our national food control system. This collaboration, supported by USDA technical teams, the Africa Food Safety Initiative and the University of Missouri-Columbia team, helped Nigeria transition from hazard-based inspection to a unified, risk-based framework aligned with Codex and ECOWAS-CEDEAO principles.”
This milestone reflects years of proactive technical engagement funded by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS) and led by Lee Gross implemented by the University of Missouri – CAFNR International Programs alongside consortium partners Oregon State University, UMAP Ghana, Ag Aligned Global, Dr. Janie Dubois and Dr. Yemisi Jeff-Agboola, with support from the Food and Agriculture Export Alliance (FAEA).
By establishing a unified, risk-based framework across federal, state, and local inspection authorities, this initiative does more than elevate domestic public health—it resolves technical friction and lays the essential groundwork for smooth, predictable international trade. Aligning regulatory practices with international Codex standards ensures that when trade agreements expand, commodities move safely and efficiently through ports and borders.
Congratulations to all the regulatory authorities, scientific experts, and international partners who worked together to turn shared expertise into lasting national policy!
#FoodSafety #PublicHealth #Nigeria #RiskBasedInspection #NationalFoodSafetyManagementCommittee #USDA #TradeFacilitation #PolicyInAction #SaferFoodForAll #CAFNR
AFSI 