Nigeria on Monday achieved a significant milestone as the Nigerian National Accreditation System (NINAS) attained international recognition.
The recognition enables products certified within the country to be accepted in over 140 nations, a development anticipated to substantially decrease export rejections and generate considerable savings in foreign exchange for the national economy.
With this new recognition, certificates issued by laboratories, inspection bodies, and certification bodies accredited by the Nigerian National Accreditation System will carry internationally recognized seals.
The seals now align with the standards of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation, the International Accreditation Forum, and the African Accreditation Cooperation under their Mutual Recognition Arrangement.
The recognition reflects nearly fifteen years of reforms under the National Quality Policy and positions Nigeria’s National Quality Infrastructure as a globally aligned system, capable of supporting exporters, micro, small, and medium enterprises, as well as manufacturers in accessing new markets.
During the launch event in Abuja, the Director-General of NINAS, Celestine Okanya, noted that the achievement tackles one of Nigeria’s most pressing export challenges: the widespread rejection of goods, particularly food products, in Europe and America, stemming from the lack of recognition of local testing.
He affirmed that exporters who use NINAS-accredited conformity assessment ‘can technically achieve zero rejection,’ since destination countries will no longer demand retesting or impose additional fees.
Okanya further noted that Nigeria’s upgraded status will enable exporters to benefit from more efficient customs procedures within the AfCFTA framework and in international markets.
The United Kingdom, a major partner of Nigeria’s quality reforms, also stated that the achievement demonstrates Nigeria’s readiness to compete on the global stage.
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