NAFDAC Laboratories get American accreditation

The two laboratories are in Oshodi, Lagos.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said on Tuesday that its two major laboratories have been accredited by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation.

A statement issued by the Director, Special Duties of the agency, Abubakar Jimoh, in Abuja, said the laboratories were accredited on November 18.

The statement listed the laboratories as NAFDAC’s Mycotoxin and Pesticides Residues Laboratories located at Oshodi in Lagos. It added that they obtained the ISO 17025 accreditation conducted by the association.

“The accreditation project, which was sponsored by United Nations Industrial Development (UNIDO), has launched the two laboratories into the league of internationally recognised and respected laboratories,’’ it stated.

It quoted the Director General of NAFDAC, Paul Orhii, as saying that the accreditation would give global acceptance to the “value-added agricultural exports tested and certified’ by the Agency.

It said the accreditation was a major boost to the country’s image and the agricultural transformation agenda of the Federal Government.

“All products analysed for export purposes by the two laboratories will now carry a special logo making the commodities accepted all over the world,’’ it said.

It added that other laboratories of the Agency were also undergoing international accreditation.

The statement said the process would boost current efforts to get some pharmaceutical companies to obtain World Health Organisation (WHO) Pre-qualification.

The statement thanked UNIDO and the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation for their support and cooperation to the agency.