The Federal Government of Nigeria has officially inaugurated the National Task Force (NTF) on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Agriculture and Food Security Minister Abubakar Kyari made the announcement during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
Kyari described the formation of the NTF as a critical move toward aligning Nigeria’s agricultural practices with international standards, aiming to maintain access for Nigerian products to the lucrative European Union market. He emphasized the urgency of the task, stating that the EUDR came into effect on June 29, 2023, with an implementation deadline set for December 2024.
Highlighting the severe risks of non-compliance, Kyari warned that losing access to the EU market poses significant threats to Nigeria’s cocoa, rubber, soya, and timber value chains, which together account for 80%, 7%, 7%, and 5% respectively of Nigeria’s €523 million export trade.
Kyari stressed the need for a collective approach to meet the EUDR standards, stating, “As members of the NTF on EUDR, we have an extremely urgent and important duty ahead; therefore, we can no longer afford to be working in silos.” He urged all stakeholders, including government and private sector operators, to collaborate effectively to achieve the targets set by the regulation.
Additionally, he pointed out the importance of updating Nigeria’s forest mapping and establishing a national traceability system across agricultural value chains. He noted, “The mapping of our forest areas was last achieved in 1959, and the need for a national traceability system across our agricultural value chains is of utmost importance.”
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