FG unveils National Fertilizer Act, says Offenders to serve five years jail term

The Federal government has unveiled the National Fertilizer Quality Control Act to regulate production of fertilizers in Nigeria of which offenders will serve a jail term of five years.

FG further stated that fertilizer producers who operate without Permit or certificate of registration will be given a fine of 5 million Naira.

READ ALSO Offenders of Fertilizer Act will serve five years jail term -FG

This was disclosed on Tuesday during the Public presentation and unveiling of the National Fertilizer Quality Control Act in Abuja.

While unveiling the fertilizer Act, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono said the Act will regulate the manufacture, importation, sales/distribution as well as quality control of fertilizers in Nigeria.

Stipulated in Act no. 23, it states ‘’A person who manufactures, blends, imports or distributes fertilizer that is deficient in plant nutrient, unbranded, adulterated, underweight, condemned is liable on conviction, to a term of imprisonment of at least five years without option of fine.’’

Nanono said the Act would provide enabling environment for fertilizer enterprises to grow, protect farmers against access to nutrient-deficient and adulterated fertilizers as well as short-weight bags of fertilizers.

‘’The purpose is also to protect our natural environment from harmful elements in fertilizers such as heavy metals which can be harmful to both soils and the humans.

In order to ensure compliance of the law, the minister highlighted that the Ministry will not condole any Obstruction, hindrance or prevention of a duly authorized officer of the Prescribed Authority (Farm Inputs Support Services Department of the Ministry) from carrying out his/her duties and responsibilities assigned to him/her under this Act or regulations made pursuant to this Act.

Nanono also noted that the Ministry has deployed and re-trained more Fertilizer Quality Control Inspectors to add to the already trained over 150 officers to ensure proper monitoring and enforcement of the provisions of the Act and the regulations.

He appreciated the efforts of President Buhari and Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS), International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Nigeria Agricultural Business Group (NABG), President, Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), Nigeria Agro-Input Dealers Association (NAIDA) and other relevant stakeholders for the immeasurable supports and roles played toward ensuring the actualization of the law.

He called on the umbrella associations of the fertilizer industry players such as FEPSAN and NAIDA to put in place proper mechanism for self-regulation adding that the Implementing regulations will soon be ready for ease of administration of this Act.

While giving an Overview of the Act, a legal practitioner and Consultant, Prof Yemi Akinseye-George, said that majority of agro-allied input leaders are unregistered and lack licence to engage in production, saying that the issue attracted the concern of the federal government to bring up a law for their regulation.

Akinseye-George noted that the issuance of certificates and licences will last within 30 days and licences will be renewed every 3 years.

Earlier speaking, the Chairman, Senate committee on Agriculture, Abdullahi Adamu, said that the National Assembly will support and ensure the implementation of the Act.

In his remarks, the Ministry’s permanent Secretary, Dr. Mu’azu Abdulkadir said the Legal and regulatory framework for fertilizer quality control would enable fertilizer inspectors of Farm Inputs Support Services Department (FISSD) of the Agriculture ministry, undertake periodic quality control and assessment to fertilizer production plants, ports of discharge and market outlets.

DailyTimes reports that the Act which was signed into law in 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari was meant for the purpose of safeguarding and protecting the interest of the entire fertilizer value chain players such as manufacturers, producers, blenders, importers, distributors and the end user farmers.