The Federal Government has unveiled the National Fertiliser Quality Control Act to fight corrupt practices in the fertiliser subdivision of the sector and to boost farmers’ productivity.
The presentation of the Act was made by Mohammad Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, in Abuja.
The minister applauded the president for his assent to the Act and acknowledged the efforts of the Chairmen and members of Committees on Agriculture of the 8th National Assembly on the passage of the bill into an Act that will revolutionize the nation’s food production.
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The journey for the establishment of the Fertilizer Regulatory System for the country started as far back as 2002 and passed through several processes and many defeats before finally being actualized in this current administration.
However, the Minister warned those who are involved in producing fake fertilizers, as the Act prohibits the practice and anyone caught will be severely dealt with.
The stakeholders at the presentation declared their readiness to collaborate with relevant authorities to fight corrupt practices in the fertiliser subdivision of the sector.
The President, Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria, Mr Saidu Zakari, requested for the provision of enough funds from government and involvement of all relevant stakeholders for adequate implementation of the law.
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Alh. Kabiru Fara, President, Nigeria Agro Input Dealers Association (NAIDA), explained that the association is working on how to get comprehensive statistics of members for proper monitoring and identification of unscrupulous elements.
Mohammed Salasi, representative of the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC), applauded the federal government for the enactment of the law, saying it would help to correct the wrongs in the subsector.
The presentation witnessed dignitaries from various security/government agencies and international organisations as well as private stakeholders and civil society groups.
