The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control , NAFDAC, has said the use of only safe veterinary medicine and allied products available for use in Nigeria by the Agro -allied operators will protect human and animal health.
NAFDAC's Director, Veterinary Medicine and Allied and Product, VMAP, Dr Rametu Momodu who made the assertion during the Agro Merit Industrial Outreach at the Poultry Show which in Abeokuta last week, maintained that use of animal feed products that are not certified by NAFDAC; cannot be guaranteed by the agency in terms of the efficacy, quality, and effectiveness.
Momodu who called for the cooperation of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, PAN, at the national level, said effective collaboration would lead to development of the industry through efficient regulatory practices.
"If they use the products properly they are going to get better birds, which are birds that are healthier and that is good for business: it is good for the farmers, and us that are buying the birds to eat."
"Consequently, we are going to eat better quality birds. We are not going to eat diseased birds or birds that are not bred properly."
Momodu stated that the mission of the VMAP Directorate is to protect human and animal health by ensuring that only safe and effective veterinary medicine and allied products are available for use in Nigeria.
She said, "The regulation of animal feedstuff is done to assure the production of safe feed."
Momodu said VMAP under her leadership will deliver on the directorate mandate through an open-door policy, science-based approach to issues, collaboration, and cooperation with all stakeholders.
Speaking, the managing director of Agro Merits Limited, Mr Sampson Adetunji Odipe, lamented that as a country Nigeria cannot feed its people, adding that part of the problem was the fact that governments are not engaging the right people.
"To talk to them in government, you need connections here and there, but we are not interested in that," stated Odipe.
According to him, banks in Nigeria are declaring billions in profits every year, while in the agro sector, people are throwing in the towel; how do you reconcile that?
Odipe further observed that people were crying and weeping. They (governments) are supposed to invite the banks and ask them how they have been making this money: "Have they been supporting the manufacturing sector?"
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According to Odipe, the way out is to have direct access to the Ministry of Agriculture.
"We must be able to feed ourselves, at least. It's so alarming that we can't feed ourselves."
He lamented that getting raw materials for locally produced animal feed was a huge challenge.
He observed that the agro sector is the most lucrative. "Farmers in Europe and elsewhere laugh to the banks, but here the adverse is the case."
