The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Dr. Vincent Isegbe, today, received the Provost of the Postgraduate College, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Prof. Oluyinka Okubanjo, to discuss strategic partnership opportunities in training and capacity-building programs for staff and officers of the service.
Speaking during the meeting, the Comptroller General emphasized that human capacity development has remained his top priorities, given the specialized nature of quarantine operations. He noted that quarantine, despite its critical role in agriculture, trade, and health, is not currently taught in any Nigerian institution.
Dr. Isegbe highlighted that the service is open to collaborations aimed at developing a dedicated curriculum that will allow interested students and professionals to study quarantine as a discipline. He pointed out that this initiative is timely, considering the increasing global recognition of quarantine in the context of trade facilitation and public health, with the World Trade Organization (WTO), World Health Organization (WHO), and Food and Agriculture Organization-(FAO-UN) playing central roles in setting standards.
On his part, Prof. Okubanjo commended the foresight of the service in prioritizing capacity building and expressed ABU’s readiness to work with NAQS in shaping the proposed academic and professional programs. He affirmed that the collaboration would not only strengthen the Service but also contribute significantly to Nigeria’s overall agricultural and export competitiveness.
The proposed partnership marks a new milestone in institutional synergy, aimed at positioning Nigeria’s quarantine system to meet international best practices while empowering its officers with knowledge and export competitiveness.
The proposed partnership marks a new milestone in institutional synergy, aimed at positioning Nigeria’s Quarantine Service to meet international best practices while empowering its officers with the knowledge and skills required for excellence.
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