Despite the Federal Government’s ease of doing business success claims, business owners under the aegis of African Women Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP) have appealed to the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to make the products registration process easy for entrepreneurs in the country.
National President, Angela Ajala, stated that obtaining NAFDAC certification for the production of food and drugs has become very difficult, making it difficult for starters to operate their dream businesses.
Expressing concern over the long duration between time for application and certification, Ajala said, “We keep wondering why? Our members always give us feedback on the difficulty they face every time.”
According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, Nigeria SMEs contribute nearly 50 per cent of the country’s GDP, accounting for over 80 per cent of employment.
The national president urged NAFDAC to prioritise timing for the registration of food and drugs firms.
She made the remarks at the annual general meeting and conference of AWEP in Abuja with the theme: “It’s in you.”
She said AWEP is in partnership with some government agencies including the Bank of Industry, Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Bank of Agriculture, and SMEDAN.
“If you write an application to NAFDAC, it will take about nine months before you get the reply. In that nine months, you have employees whom you pay and so many of your work activities are tied to the NAFDAC number, but the agency will not show concern.
