FG Inaugurates Project Steering Committee on NACAP
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Mr. Olajide Odewale has inaugurated the Project Steering Committee of Nigeria’s Accreditation and Conformity Assessment Platform (NACAP).
The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by the Director International Cooperation in the Ministry, Mrs Elizabeth Eghareva, charged the members of the NACAP Steering Committee to ensure national compliance with all provision of the Accreditation and Conformity Assessment Policy.
Mr Adewale also urged the committee to live up to their responsibilities of promoting the use of accreditations as a decision making mechanism or tools in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as ensuring that all Accreditation and Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs), like Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) and The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) amongst others, conform with international best practices.
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He stressed the need for them to be guided by the constitution of NACAP which is in compliance with the Presidential Executive Order No.2(1) of February 2017 and which specifies that “MDAs shall ensure that any professional practices in Nigeria must be duly registered with the appropriate regulatory body in Nigeria”, on one hand and the ECOWAS Regulation NO C/REG 13/06/17 on Regional Quality Association, designated as ECOWAS Quality Policy (ECOQUAL) on the other hand.
According to Mr. Odewale the benefits of the inspection body are enormous and far reaching; some of which include the fact that with the Accreditation body in place, certificates accompanying exported goods are more readily acceptable internationally foster increased trade and income to Nigeria through international confidence; and public health protected as products sold domestically are safe from dangerous inherent hazards.
He noted that the future and hope of Nigeria benefitting and competing favorably in the ECOWAS Free Trade Market and the Continental Free Trade Zone, will largely be dependent on the level of dedication and commitment on the part of the members of the NACAP Steering Committee.
Also speaking at the inauguration, Mr. Celestine Okanya, Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria National Accreditation Service (NiNAS) said that Nigeria must ensure that goods produced in the country meet international best practices if it has to compete with other goods produced abroad.
Victoria Agba-Attah
