Members of the Society of Testing Laboratory Analysts of Nigeria have urged the Federal Government to pay adequate attention to the laboratory sector to halt the constant rejection of Nigerian products at the international market.
The president of the society, Prof Olugbenga Ogunmoyela, made the appeal at a press briefing on the society’s forthcoming fifth conference in Lagos with the theme,” 21st Century Laboratory and Allied Businesses: Leveraging Collaboration and Partnerships.”
Ogunmoyela said a myriad of problems daily confronts the testing analytical laboratory business in Nigeria.
He said, “Insufficient attention is paid to the laboratory sector, which should be a major partner to the government in view of its critical importance for the safety and protection of our population from the menace of imported banned and expired agrochemicals, drugs, food, etc.
“Let me use this opportunity to draw the attention of the new government at the federal, state and local levels to the saddening statistics of Africa and indeed Nigeria in this sector (analysis) with a view to coming up with a lasting solution.”
He lamented that Africa has less than nine per cent of the global market share of the laboratory business, yet samples from Africa are being shipped to the developed world for analysis due to unpatriotic acts, poor infrastructure, inadequate ultra modern analytical equipment, trust and competence issues.
The professor of Food Science and Technology said, “We cannot continue like this if we are desirous of surviving in a highly competitive trading world.’’
“We must be able to empower and equip our laboratories, train and provide jobs for the teeming graduates of sciences — chemists, food scientists, microbiologists, pharmacists etc.”
