Quarantine service wins Most Innovative Govt. Agency Award

In recognition of its many accomplishments as an important innovator helping to stabilize the agriculture sector in the country, the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has emerged as the Most Innovative Government Agency at the BusinessDay Top 25 Most Innovative Companies and Institutions Award 2017 in Lagos recently.

NAQS was deemed worthy of the award as a result of the Pest Risk analysis that scientists at the agency carried out on pigeon pea and the comparative market value study that was successfully done for these commodities vis-à-vis the national budget.

According to BusinessDay Media Limited, organizers of the award, NAQS was also recognized for fulfilling its core mandate of continual surveillance of Nigeria's borders and taking preemptive action against the incursion of three emerging diseases namely: Cassava Brown Streak Disease, Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease and Coconut Lethal Yellowing Disease.

The diseases which emanate from central and southern African countries are already endemic in those countries “and determining the economic importance of such incursions made NAQS stand out,” the organizers said.


NAQS’ Coordinating Director Dr Vincent Isegbe thanked BusinessDay Media for the award and dedicated the award to staff members of the agency for their commitment to service, and announced that they would embark on regular trainings at home and abroad to be abreast of the latest practices in the sector.

The mandate of Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) is to ensure that all plants, animals and aquatic produce / products leaving the shores of the country through all exit points (airports, seaports and land borders) meet international standard as specified by International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)

As a regulatory Agency, the main Objective of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service is to prevent the introduction, establishment and spread of exotic pests and diseases of all agricultural products in the international trade. In a similar vein, NAQS sets out to provide an effective Science - based regulatory service for quality assurances of agricultural products through consistent enforcement of sanitary and phytosanitary measures for promoting a secured and sustainable agricultural and economic development. 

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