Nigerian women entrepreneurs urged to prioritize compliance for export success

Women entrepreneurs operating in Nigeria's export sector have been strongly advised to ensure they meet all regulatory requirements, compliance standards, and possess the necessary competence before venturing into exporting their products.

Flora Mbeledeogu, CEO of Made in Africa Brand Ambassador (MABA), emphasized this point during the recent SheExports conference. She stated that women entrepreneurs aiming to explore the export market must first thoroughly understand the relevant regulatory requirements. "Anything goes in Nigeria, but abroad it's a different ballgame," Mbeledeogu explained. "So, for you to talk of export, you personally as a Nigerian women entrepreneur, you have a lot of work to do locally first before the certification. You get it right first on your own part, and then the next level is to scale with certification."

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Anything goes in Nigeria, but abroad it's a different ballgame. So, for you to talk of export, you personally as a Nigerian women entrepreneur, you have a lot of work to do locally first before the certification. You get it right first on your own part, and then the next level is to scale with certification.

Mbeledeogu further stressed the critical need for proper certification. She advised entrepreneurs to engage with agencies like the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services to obtain phytosanitary analysis certifications. Additionally, she mentioned the importance of certifications like HACCP, which confirm a product's fitness for consumption in international markets.

Echoing the need for a supportive ecosystem, Dr. Queen Okpa, CEO of Women in Agribusiness Trade and Export, pointed out that Nigeria must also address its logistics infrastructure. She argued that improving these systems is crucial for enabling Nigerian exporters to achieve breakeven and compete effectively on the global stage.

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Proper certification is required. Go through Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services to get the phytosanitary analysis certifications and all that. And also we also have the HACCP, which certifies that the product is fit for consumption in any country.