The Importance of The NAQS

Many people do not know the importance of the NAQS until most of their investments in certain consumable exports or imports are confiscated for health and safety reasons at any of our borders.

This article will shed light on who they are.

The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) is a regulatory agency under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. It was created for the harmonization of Plants, Veterinary and Aquatic resources (fisheries) Quarantine in Nigeria to promote and regulate sanitary (animal and fisheries health) and phytosanitary(plant health) measures in connection with the import and export of agricultural products with a view to minimizing the risk to agricultural economy, food safety and the environment.

The main objective of NAQS is to prevent the introduction, establishment and spread of animal and zoonotic diseases as well as pests of plants and fisheries including their products. NAQS also undertakes emergency protocol to control or manage new pest incursion or disease outbreak in collaboration with key stakeholders.

Purpose of Phytosanitary Certificates:

Phytosanitary certificates are issued to indicate that consignments of plants, plant products or other regulated articles meet specified phytosanitary import requirements and are in conformity with the certifying statement of the appropriate model certificate. Phytosanitary certificates should only be issued for this purpose.

Model certificates provide a standard wording and format that should be followed for the preparation of official phytosanitary certificates.

This is necessary to ensure the validity of the documents, that they are easily recognized, and that essential information is reported.
Importing countries should only require phytosanitary certificates for regulated articles. These include commodities such as plants, bulbs and tubers, or seeds for propagation, fruits and vegetables, cut flowers and branches, grain, and growing medium.

Phytosanitary certificates may also be used for certain plant products that have been processed where such products, by their nature or that of their processing, have a potential for introducing regulated pests (e.g. wood, cotton). A phytosanitary certificate may also be required for other regulated articles where phytosanitary measures are technically justified (e.g. empty containers, vehicles, and organisms).

Importing countries should not require phytosanitary certificates for plant products that have been processed in such a way that they have no potential for introducing regulated pests, or for other articles that do not require phytosanitary measures.