Nigeria achieved a major milestone on Monday as the Nigerian National Accreditation System (NINAS) secured international recognition, a development that will allow products certified in Nigeria to be accepted in more than 140 countries. The global endorsement is expected to drastically cut export rejections, ease access to foreign markets, and save the country millions of dollars lost annually to repeated product testing abroad.
With this accreditation, certificates issued by laboratories, inspection bodies, and certification bodies accredited by NINAS will now carry internationally trusted marks from the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), and the African Accreditation Cooperation through the Mutual Recognition Arrangement. This means that Nigerian-tested and certified goods will now be recognised and accepted globally without being subjected to additional scrutiny.
According to The PUNCH, only eight accreditation bodies across Africa have attained this level of global acceptance, placing Nigeria among the continent’s leaders in quality assurance. The achievement concludes nearly 15 years of reforms driven by the National Quality Policy and strengthens the country’s National Quality Infrastructure into a globally aligned system capable of supporting exporters, manufacturers, and MSMEs seeking entry into competitive international markets.
Speaking at the formal launch in Abuja, the Director-General of NINAS, Celestine Okanya, described the recognition as a direct solution to one of Nigeria’s biggest export challenges,frequent rejection of goods, especially agricultural and food products, in Europe and the United States due to the non-recognition of Nigerian testing facilities. He said the new accreditation eliminates the need for retesting in destination countries, which often imposes extra costs and causes delays for exporters.
Okanya noted that exporters using NINAS-accredited conformity assessment bodies “can technically achieve zero rejection,” as foreign regulators will now fully accept certificates issued in Nigeria. This, he explained, gives Nigerian manufacturers access to a smoother export process and enables products certified locally to meet both domestic and global market requirements.
He stressed that any producer relying on NINAS-accredited laboratories will see their certificates automatically recognised across more than 140 countries, including major markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. This breakthrough, he said, removes one of the key obstacles preventing Nigerian goods from gaining global market access. It also positions exporters for faster customs clearance under the AfCFTA and strengthens their competitiveness internationally.
The United Kingdom, one of Nigeria’s strongest partners in quality reforms, welcomed the achievement, describing it as a sign that Nigeria is ready to compete at global standards. The UK’s Director for Trade Policy and Market Access in Africa, Hannah Barbosa, said the recognition will reduce technical barriers to trade, strengthen investor confidence, and unlock wider market opportunities for Nigerian businesses. She added that several UK-funded programmes,such as the Standards Partnership Programme, the Developing Countries Trading Scheme Roadshow, and the SheTrades Inward Mission,played critical roles in helping Nigerian firms improve their quality processes.
Also speaking on the development, the UK Country Director for Nigeria, Mark Smithson, noted that UK imports from Nigeria currently amount to £2.3bn, largely driven by commodities. With NINAS’ newly acquired status, he said Nigerian products will now move more efficiently through UK customs, avoiding delays and repeated testing.
Smithson added that exporters should expect faster processing, fewer product rejections, and more predictable outcomes. According to him, this achievement marks not only an improvement in quality systems but also a boost in Nigeria’s export competitiveness and economic potential.
