The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has commenced engagement with the British Standards Institution (BSI) on the implementation of a new United Kingdom-funded Grow Job and Trade Standards Programme, aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s quality and standards systems and expanding market access for livestock and livestock products.
The engagement, held on August 20, 2026, marked the commencement of the new programme following the successful completion of a three-year Standards Partnership Programme, also funded by the UK.
Discussions focused on how the new programme could support the implementation of Nigeria’s National Quality Policy through stronger collaboration with the National Quality Council and other institutions responsible for quality assurance, standards, certification and trade.
Speaking during the engagement, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, emphasised the need for the programme to address critical issues affecting the livestock sector, particularly sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements, export certification, disease control, residue monitoring, laboratory testing and access to international markets.
Dr. Akujobi noted that for Nigerian livestock and livestock products to compete effectively in the global market, the country must demonstrate that its products consistently meet internationally recognised safety, quality and animal health standards.
She highlighted the need to establish and implement effective residue monitoring plans for livestock products, including honey, eggs, fish and meat.
According to her, strengthening domestic testing capacity is essential to provide assurance that Nigerian products are free from harmful substances such as pesticide residues and heavy metals.
The Permanent Secretary also underscored the importance of establishing disease-free zones and compartments to facilitate the export of livestock and animal products, noting that international trading partners require credible evidence that animals and their products meet prescribed animal health requirements before granting market access.
She called for stronger coordination among government institutions involved in quality control, certification, inspection and trade.
Dr. Akujobi stressed the need to improve interoperability among relevant agencies operating at ports, particularly in the verification of certificates, to strengthen border controls and reduce the rejection of exported products due to poor documentation.
She assured the BSI team of the Ministry’s readiness to work closely with the institution to identify priority areas within the livestock sector and ensure that interventions under the new programme align with Nigeria’s current needs and development priorities.
The Permanent Secretary added that efforts to promote livestock exports must adopt a comprehensive value-chain approach covering production, processing, storage, transportation, quality assurance, certification and access to domestic and international markets.
Also speaking, the Director of Quality Assurance, Dr. Nurullah, stressed the importance of strengthening quality control and certification systems for livestock and livestock products, particularly those destined for export markets.
He noted that effective collaboration among the Ministry’s technical departments and relevant government agencies would be critical to ensuring that Nigerian livestock products meet applicable national and international standards and gain wider acceptance in global markets.
In his remarks, the Project Manager and Team Lead of BSI, Riccardo Benvenuti, said the BSI team was in Nigeria to formally commence the new UK-funded Grow Job and Trade Standards Programme, building on the achievements of the previous three-year Standards Partnership Programme.
Benvenuti explained that the programme was designed as a collaborative initiative and was not intended to impose predetermined solutions on the Ministry.
He said BSI would work closely with the Ministry to understand its priorities, identify key challenges and determine areas where the programme could provide practical and sustainable support.
According to him, the objective is to understand what the Ministry seeks to achieve and jointly identify areas where BSI’s expertise and technical support can contribute to achieving those goals.
The engagement reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development and its development partners to strengthening livestock standards, improving product quality and safety and positioning Nigeria’s livestock sector to take greater advantage of national, regional and international trade opportunities.
