On Tuesday, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) made a statement clarifying that noodles produced in Nigeria have no association with noodles made in Taiwan and Malaysia. NAFDAC also confirmed that locally-made noodles are safe for consumption.
In a recent appearance on the TVC television show, Your View, NAFDAC Director-General Mojisola Adeyeye explained that foreign-made noodles have been banned from entering Nigeria for several years, with the Nigerian Customs Service importation prohibition list reinforcing this ban. This measure aims to promote the production of noodles within the country and strengthen the local economy.
NAFDAC is taking measures to prevent the smuggling of foreign-made noodles into Nigeria. The Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN) division of NAFDAC has commenced post-marketing surveillance (PMS), and the Food Lab Services Directorate has also been activated to address the issue.
Tope Ashiwaju, the Group Corporate Communications and Event Manager for Dufil Prima Foods Plc, confirmed that Indomie Nigeria is a separate entity from Indomie Taiwan and Indomie Malaysia. The popular brand has been produced locally in Nigeria for over three decades, with Dufil Prima Foods Plc improving local capacity utilization to meet the market demand instead of relying on importation.
Nigeria is a major consumer of instant noodles, with Indomie Instant Noodles holding a dominant position in the market. According to the World Instant Noodles Association (WINA), Nigeria is one of the largest consumers of instant noodles, with a consumption rate of 1.92 million. It is important to note that the ban on instant noodle imports is not a recent development, as it has been on the importation prohibition list of the Nigerian government for a significant period.