The Federal Government has inaugurated the National Palm Oil Traceability System (NaPOTS) Framework with the inauguration of a 16-member Inter-Agency Committee to implement it.
NaPOTS aims to improve product quality, promote sustainability, support climate-smart practices, and position Nigerian palm oil for competitive markets both domestically and internationally.
Speaking at the inauguration on Tuesday in Abuja, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, called the inauguration a major milestone in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.
Represented by Dr Marcus Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Kyari emphasised that the inter-agency committee would design and oversee the Palm Oil Traceability Roadmap, coordinating efforts across multiple stakeholders.
He noted that the initiative aligned with the ministry’s National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP), which prioritised innovation, sustainability, and market-driven value chains.
“This traceability framework demonstrates our commitment to food safety, market transparency, and economic resilience under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
“It modernises value chains, boosts global competitiveness, and encourages responsible production throughout the oil palm sector,” he said.
Kyari added that traceability would increase consumer confidence by eliminating adulteration, ensuring compliance with national and international quality standards, and enhancing Nigeria’s appeal in industries such as food processing, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
He also highlighted the crucial role of smallholder farmers, who produced more than 80 per cent of Nigeria’s palm oil, and stated, “A traceability framework is a critical bridge to formal markets.”
Mr Kene Onukwube, Programme Manager for Solidaridad Nigeria, welcomed the framework’s integration, noting that it would add efficiency across production, processing, and marketing in the palm oil sector.
Onukwube lauded Solidaridad’s contribution, including climate-smart oil palm farming initiatives in Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Enugu, and Kogi States, and said the framework came with policies to drive sustainable implementation.
