Director-General, NAFDAC, Prof. Dora Akunyili wants Indian firms, Conservernia Africana and Sosaco Nigerian Limited to commence the exports of their products to the West African market.

While Conservernia is the maker of popular tomato paste, Gino; Sosaco is manufacturer of Jago milk.
Prof. Akunyuli who toured the factories of the two firms in Gbagada, Lagos and Otta, Ogun state lauded the efforts of the Indian investors for committing huge funds into the establishment of state-of-the-arts factories in Nigeria.

She said NAFDAC had to approve the two products of the companies based on their high quality and standards and encouraged them to commence exports to the sub-region.
"I am impressed by the quality and standards of your factories and the products. It can meet any international standards and i want to encourage you to start exports to West African markets as soon as possible," she stated.

The NAFDAC boss, who said, she was also at the helms of affairs of the West African regulatory agency on food and drugs said there was a high demand in milk and tomato paste in the sub-region and that the exports by Nigerian firms would go a long way in suplying food in the sub-region as well as lead to the further expansion of the companies in Nigeria and the creation of more employment opportunities for Nigerians.

She said all what the franc-phone countries demanded was the leballeing of english products in french language so that buyers could understand and use it properly.
She promised to give all assistance to the companies in their export drive outside Nigeria.
In his respose, the Managing Director of Conservernia Africana, Mr. Nurani Kedarnath, assured that the management of the two firms would work out modalities on how to start exports into the West African market.

Kedarnath, who also supervises Sosaco Nigeria Limited said in the year ended 2007, both firms raked in about N13billion from sales in Nigeria.
He linked the huge sales recorded in 2007 to the high quality of the two products and assured that all would be done to maintain the quality and standards of Jago milk and Gino tomato paste in Nigeria.