AEA, NAFDAC Sensitize MSMEs on Product Registration & Regulatory Compliance.
By Emmanuel Tortiv.
Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) and the FCT Directorate of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) held a one-day Joint Sensitization Programme, aimed at educating Nano, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (nMSMEs) on the procedures for registering Food and Cosmetics products.
In his welcome address, the Ag. Managing Director/CEO of AEA, Dr. Chudi Ugwuada-Ezirigwe, on Thursday, 22nd May, 2025, stated that the event was not only targeted at nMSMEs certification procedures but also to promote adherence to best operational practices.
Dr. Chudi said the AEA’s FCT MSME One-Stop Shop was set up with the core mandate of ensuring the Ease of Doing Business in FCT to facilitate the formalization of MSMEs while reducing bottlenecks and bureaucratic red tape during registration of enterprises and their products.
The Ag. MD said, “You will be pleased to know that this One-Stop Shop houses operational desks of key regulatory and financial institutions. These institutions serve and support MSMEs by providing essential certifications, licences, and access to finance”.
“I am delighted to inform you that the desk officers from these institutions, including NAFDAC, are present today and are available to engage with you directly at their respective desks to offer on-the-spot professional support”.
While calling on participants of the Sensitization Programme to ensure they gained enough assistance from NAFDAC, one of the establishments collaborating with the One Stop Shop, he thanked the FCT Minister, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike as well as the Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud for their unwavering support and tirelessly working towards the actualization of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the Federal Capital Territory.
In his goodwill message, the Director of Greater FCT-NAFDAC, Dr. Kenneth Azikiwe, said in line with the mandate given to him by the Director-General of NAFDAC and based on her interest in MSMEs, he saw the need to make MSME a full-fledged unit in FCT upon his assumption of work in the FCT Directorate.
Dr. Azikiwe said the purpose of the MSME Unit in NAFDAC is to see how the Agency can register low-risk products (LRP) to ensure that they get their NAFDAC Number.
He said LRP refers to products that are not of high risk. High risks, according to him, are products that can easily be contaminated.
“I like what I saw when the Managing Director was making his presentation showing how they were able to identify sheabutter locations and how they expanded it. That is what NAFDAC is all about. We are here to grow Micro, Small, and Medium Industries,” Stated the Director.
The Director rolled out examples of products that can be registered under MSMEs to include but not limited to bread, cupcake, chinchin, cookies, baking flour, popcorn, potato chips, plantain chips, kulikuli, among others.
He called on persons interested in business to always visit his Office to view the list of low-risk products as well as high-risk products.
Dr Azikiwe advised startups to endeavour to get their NAFDAC Numbers and Trademarks while warning them to be cautious of “consultants” and racketeers who are out to mislead unsuspecting members of the public, saying,
“Don’t let anyone tell you to go and pay N200,000.00 for a NAFDAC Number to save your money. How much are you going to make from packaged garri? That is criminal.
A participant at the event, Safiya Aliyu, told Abuja Digest Newspaper in an interview that she was accosted by a Registration Consultant who demanded N2M to help her get NAFDAC Numbers and Trademark while she was abroad. She said such sensitization was necessary for all agencies that have regulatory functions like NAFDAC to save taxpayers from undue exploitation.
The Sensitization was also graced by the Head of PR, Greater FCT-NAFDAC, Mr. Adegboyega Ossiyemi, Head of Unit, MSME Greater FCT-NAFDAC, Thomas Itsheme, and the Desk Officer, FCT-MSME One Stop Shop, Hajia Aisha Girei, as well as the top Management Team of AEA.
