The Federal Government has inaugurated the National Task Force (NTF) on the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), a key initiative aimed at ensuring Nigeria’s agricultural exports comply with international environmental standards.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, made the announcement during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. He emphasized that the creation of the NTF is a crucial step in aligning Nigeria’s agricultural practices with global standards, which is essential for maintaining access to the EU market.

Kyari highlighted the urgency of the task, noting that the EU’s deforestation regulation, which came into effect on June 29, 2023, has a deadline for full implementation by December 2024. He stressed that non-compliance with the regulation could have severe consequences, particularly for Nigeria’s key export products such as cocoa, rubber, soya, and timber. These products represent a significant portion—80%, 7%, 7%, and 5% respectively—of Nigeria’s €523 million export trade. Losing access to the EU market due to non-compliance, Kyari warned, would be a major blow to these industries.

“The loss of the market due to non-compliance presents a great threat to the cocoa, rubber, soya, and timber value chains,” Kyari said, urging stakeholders to work collectively toward meeting the EUDR standards.

The minister called for a unified approach to address the challenges ahead, stressing that all stakeholders, including government bodies and private sector operators, must collaborate to ensure success. He also pointed out the need to update Nigeria’s forest mapping, last done in 1959, and to establish a national traceability system across agricultural value chains.

“A national traceability system across our agricultural value chains is of utmost importance,” Kyari stated, reinforcing the need for a comprehensive approach to the issue.

The inauguration of the National Task Force marks the beginning of a critical phase in Nigeria’s efforts to safeguard its agricultural exports and meet the global demand for sustainable sourcing practices.