The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, NAQS, has backed the National Single Window, NSW Project to improve trade and boost revenue generation for the Federal Government.
The support and pledge was made by the Comptroller General of NAQS, Dr Vincent Isegbe, during a working visit from the Head of the Secretariat and members of the Project Management Office of the National Single Window led by Head of the Project Secretariat, NSW, Tola Fakolade, and Project Co-lead Pius Anyiador, at the NAQS headquarters in Abuja.
Isegbe in a statement signed by the and Strategies Unit, Head/Media, Communications, Deputy Superintendent of Quarantine, DSQ, Seyamba Tanto, assured the project team of NAQS’s cooperation and called on all relevant agencies to align with government policies and programs that promote the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
He emphasized the importance of clearly defining, understanding, and respecting the roles of agencies involved in trade facilitation.
Meanwhile, according to the statement, the CG said that NAQS has instituted the Export Certification Value Chain, ECVC, for 30 agricultural commodities to ease their exportation process, thereby creating opportunities for stakeholders and youth engagement in export drive to earn foreign exchange. NAQS has equally instituted electronic certification of her processes for ease of doing business
The NAQS’ boss also expressed his gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for inaugurating the NSW Project, noting that it will further consolidate the NAQS’ mandate on trade facilitation., which he highlighted NAQS’ successful automation of the process for obtaining phytosanitary certifications through the ePhyto system.
According to him, the ePhyto system allows exporters to apply for phytosanitary certifications from anywhere in the world, ensuring transparency and integrity, as both local and international stakeholders can easily verify the authenticity of the certificates.
“In light of these advancements, we encourage Nigerians to visit NAQS and familiarize themselves with the ECVC to facilitate smooth entry into the export trade of these vital agricultural products.
“NAQS reaffirms its commitment to the success of this national initiative”, he said.
Earlier, Head of the Project Secretariat for the NSW, Tola Fakolade, and Project Co-lead, Pius Anyiador, explained reasons for their visit to the NAQS’ Headquarters, which they pointed out that NAQS has a crucial role to play in the Project’s success.
They emphasized the benefits of the NSW, which include enhanced government revenue, increased foreign investment, higher trade volumes, and the automation of processes for greater efficiency.