The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has signed a landmark protocol with the People’s Republic of China on quarantine requirements for the export of wild aquatic products from Nigeria to China.
The agreement was signed on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja, in a major development expected to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural export drive and expand access to the Chinese market.
The signing ceremony brought together key government officials, representatives of the Chinese government, the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership Office, stakeholders in the fisheries and aquatic products value chain, and development partners.
Representing the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Mrs. Janet S. Awanen, mni, Director of the Department of International and Comparative Law, said the protocol had been negotiated by Nigerian experts from NAQS and international law specialists from the Ministry of Justice.
She said the agreement was reviewed and cleared to ensure that its provisions complied with Nigeria’s legal framework and protected the country’s national interests.
According to her, the protocol would contribute to economic growth, promote value addition, create employment opportunities and increase Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Speaking at the event, the Comptroller General of NAQS, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, described the agreement as a historic breakthrough and a reflection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to expand Nigeria’s non-oil exports and strengthen international trade relations.
Isegbe said the agreement was the result of more than four years of sustained technical engagements aimed at securing market access for Nigerian wild aquatic products in China, one of the world’s largest aquatic markets.
He noted that the protocol would provide a structured framework for the inspection, certification and export of eligible Nigerian wild aquatic products to China, while ensuring compliance with the country’s quarantine and sanitary requirements.
The development is expected to open new opportunities for Nigerian fishermen, processors, exporters and other participants in the aquatic products value chain, while contributing to the diversification of the Nigerian economy and increasing foreign exchange earnings.
The agreement also underscores Nigeria’s growing efforts to strengthen agricultural exports and deepen economic cooperation with China.
