Nigeria’s agriculture minister Muhammad Nanono has called on fertiliser dealers to do their business in line with the provisions of the National Fertilizer Quality Control Act and other extant regulations.

The NFQC Act was enacted to control and regulate the manufacture, production, blending, importation and sales as well as distribution of fertilizer in Nigeria.

Mr. Nanono told a workshop in Abuja on Monday that fertiliser investors

would get all the support they need from the  government, adding that productivity for national food security “could only be achieved through the provision of quality fertiliser and other key farm inputs”.

The minister said the regulations provided a step-by-step process, procedures and implementation guidelines to be followed for effective enforcement.

He asked operators to obtain certificate of registration or sales permit upon payment of some prescribed charges before being allowed to operate any fertiliser business in the country.

A representative of NSA Babagana Monguno, Okigbe Sunday, said agriculture played an important role in food security and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) would ensure the security of the product to farmers.

“Regulation of the environment is very critical for the product, to protect and safeguard the interest of farmers,” he said.

Yemi Akinseye-George, in his presentation of the Fertiliser Act said that a proper environment was very important to regulate the fertiliser product. He warned against destructive use of fertilisers on Nigerian soil.