In a landmark move to elevate Nigeria’s agri-food sector to global standards, the NiCERT and the Centre for Climate-Smart Agriculture (CCSA) of Cosmopolitan University have drafted a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to integrate international conformity assessment systems into agricultural training, research, and certification. The draft was initiated during a high-level visit to NiCERT’s head office in Abuja, where CCSA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Rislan Kanya, Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Badaru Usman, and Cosmopolitan University Registrar, Dr. Mani Ibrahim, met with NiCERT’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Annabe Kamuchel and her technical team to define the partnership’s objectives and implementation roadmap.

Under the agreement, NiCERT will co-develop ISO-aligned training programs, provide expert resource persons, and issue globally recognised certifications, while CCSA will embed these standards into academic and professional training, establish a Climate-Smart Conformity Assessment Hub, and support export-readiness among farmers, agribusinesses, and food processors. Special emphasis will be placed on helping smallholder farmers build capacity from planting through harvest to target premium organic markets, ensuring compliance with global standards and reducing the risk of their produce being rejected at the point of export or upon arrival in international markets. The initiative is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional and global trade by producing a new generation of inspectors, quality officers, and certification consultants for the agri-food sector.

Speaking on the partnership, Dr. Rislan Kanya, CEO of CCSA, said: “This collaboration is a game-changer for Nigeria’s agricultural value chain. By embedding conformity assessment into education, training, and research, we are not only improving food safety and quality but also unlocking export potential for our farmers and agribusinesses. Smallholder farmers, in particular, will gain the knowledge and systems they need to confidently meet organic and export market requirements.”

Ms. Annabel, Groop CEO of NiCERT, added: “Our role as a national certification body is to ensure that Nigerian products meet the highest international standards. Partnering with CCSA allows us to extend this impact into academia and the grassroots, creating a pipeline of skilled professionals who can transform the agri-food sector while empowering smallholder farmers to compete globally.”