Agency Moves To Monitor Plants, Animals’ Imports

The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS), has put in place measures to monitor importation of plants, animal and aquatic lives into the country.
The NAQS has insisted for shippers to obtain import permit licence for the purpose of shipping such cargoes into the country, saying that the law has been in existence yet flouted by operators.
The Coordinating Director of the Service, Vincent Isegbe gave the directive at a stakeholders meeting organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in Lagos, yesterday.
The service boss also warned shippers against importing merchandise that contain deadly pests and diseases that can harm the nation’s agricultural produce.
Isegbe told shippers and importers to always seek the permit before importing their products in pallets.
The NAQS helmsman said that the sole objective of the organisation was to prevent the introduction, establishment and spread of exotic pests and diseases of all agricultural products in the international trade.
In his words, “Importers and exporters need to always play by the rules in order to preserve and safeguard the nation’s agricultural produce.
“There are insects that are in wood pallets, we want to know which country you are taking them from so we need to do risk analysis. If you want to import anything that has to do with wood pallets, come to our office for proper advice.”