Stakeholders in the hibiscus flower sub-sector of agriculture have expressed their joy over the recent renewal of economic ties with Mexico, leading to the lifting of a ban on the exportation of hibiscus flowers from Nigeria to the country.
This development was made known by the Director, Laboratory Management Services, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Ebenezer Idachaba, who disclosed that all grey areas have been addressed, and that by October or November this year, the country would commence export fully.
The exportation of hibiscus flowers was banned by the Mexican government in 2018, following pest infestation in some of the consignments shipped from Nigeria. This has caused many exporters to suffer heavy financial losses, causing job losses in the agriculture value chain.
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The recent visit of a delegation led by the new Mexican Ambassador to Nigeria, Alfredo Miranda, to the office of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, brought an end to the ban.
The Director, Operations, AgroEknor – a hibiscus-processing factory in Kano, Adedoyin Adesanya, one of the exporters, noted that the move is going to boost the industry in a very significant way.
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“You shouldn’t forget that China actually frustrated business for these people because we were routing through China and China took it to Mexico. China has now decided to be importing from Nigeria in order to supply Mexico directly. Instead of one-link trade, it is a two-link trade.” Adesanya noted
The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN), Mr. Akin Sawyerr, also commended the development, saying it will bring in more foreign exchange and create more gainful employment.
