The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), in collaboration with the Yobe government, on Wednesday sensitised Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) on product registration and value addition.
Dr. Bukar Usman, the NAFDAC Zonal Director, North-East, said at the occasion in Damaturu that the Federal Government had identified MSMEs as very critical to the economy of the nation.
“Therefore, the agency, whose mandate is to register some of these products, decided to embark on sensitisation across the country.
“NAFDAC considers Yobe state as an excellent partner in executing our mandate in the state, which is why we are here to sensitise and educate these entrepreneurs on the basic tips, clues and easiest way to register their products, so that they can add value to commodities, especially agricultural commodities, without compromising quality and safety of the product.”, Usman said.
He explained that value addition entailed transforming or converting raw materials into finished or semi-finished products, while maintaining product quality.
Usman added that at the end of the sensitisation the agency hoped to increase the number of people engaged in adding value to their products.
“This will have a lot of multiplier effect on the individual families, on the economy of the communities and also the state as a whole by improving its Internally Generated Revenue(IGR).”, he said.
In his remarks, Gov. Mai Mala Buni described the sensitisation as part of the recovery process from the destruction of Boko Haram activities in the state.
Represented by Alhaji Abdulkarim Mai-Umar, Buni said the state government partnered the agency so as to extend the reach of locally produced goods to markets both within and outside the country.
Mr. Lawan Dadingelma, NAFDAC Co-ordinator in the state, said with the creation of more awareness in the populace, the agency hoped that more companies would register their products in order to protect the general public.