The federal government has begun the process to regulate the halal sector to stimulate job growth and enable the country to compete internationally in the $7.2tr global halal business.
Daily Trust reports that the ministry of trade had last year established a technical committee to fashion out ways the country could regulate the halal sector to improve the exportation goods to other countries.
Speaking during the presentation of the technical committee report yesterday, the chairman of the committee, Noir Sani Hanga, said the country could develop a competitive halal industry if the government launched initiatives and adopted standards recognised globally.
Hanga, said the sector is the fastest growing diet segment in the world, thus, the need to create awareness on its benefit to grow jobs and stimulate the country’s economy.
“We are proposing that Nigeria certify the sector to develop a robust halal industry. This industry will create job opportunities and open the gate of the over $7tr global halal market for our products and services.
“We need to prepare Nigeria to be a player in the global halal market. This will create an avenue for entrepreneurs in the food industry to have a larger market to sell their goods while following the standards approved by the government.”
On her part, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Maryam Yalwaji Katagum, said the committee was necessitated as the country has a huge market for halal products.
She added that a stakeholders meeting will be convened to adopt and make suggestions on the report before taking it to the Federal Executive Council.
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