Federal Government of Nigeria has advised its citizens to tap into the opportunities in the $2.6trn Halal global market.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment of Nigeria, Niyi Adebayo gave this advice at the 3rd International Halal Seminar and Exhibition which recently held in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.
The 2022 International Halal Seminar and Exhibition was facilitated by the foremost halal certification body in Nigeria, Halal Certification Authority (HCA).
The two-day event was themed, “Halal for All: Between Sustainability and Profitability.”
Adebayo, who was represented by Amb. Mariam Katagum stressed the need for diversification of the economy through the exportation of value and products.
In his keynote address, the Minister further noted that there is a growing demand for Halal-certified products globally, especially in the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, and the South.
According to him, the global Halal market is estimated at US$2.6trn, and Malaysia is already benefiting from the Halal economy, exporting to over 23 countries and earning about $7bn in exports.
He, however, expressed concern that Nigeria has not been able to take advantage of the vast global Halal market to achieve growth and attract investments.
Adebayo said, “Many people consume Halal products or services worldwide, and Nigerians should also enjoy the benefits.”
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Technical Committee on the Development of a Roadmap and Operational Framework for Halal Certification in Nigeria, Nour Hanga gave an overview of the dynamics of the halal industry.
Hanga said the concept of Halal transcends food and beverages; as it covers sectors such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, safety, infrastructure, modest fashion, tourism, wellbeing, and peace for humanity.
According to him, “The Halal food ensures that the product used is not with Haram ingredients,” making reference to Thailand as a country that established a sector dedicated to Halal and equipped the industry with the enabling and advanced devices.
He added that the global Halal economy is recording remarkable growth, saying, “it may grow 20% annually according to the global Islamic report 2022. Also, the global sales of Halal products or services for 2020-2021 were $2trn each despite the COVID-19 pandemic.”
On the growth of the global Halal market, Hanga encouraged manufacturers, farmers, suppliers, entrepreneurs, exporters, and banks to invest in the Halal industry, saying, “Halal food symbolises cleanliness, richness, integrity, and safety.”
He named Nestle, Unilever, and Cadbury as leading international conglomerates at the forefront of Halal enterprise, adding that European and American conglomerates represent seven out of the ten world players in the global Halal market.
Hanga described Halal as a profitable business worldwide for people, who care about product quality and safe health.
The Halal technical chairman noted that the theme of the 2022 Halal seminar was imperative to the industry, adding that its sustainable infrastructure equipment and development would accelerate the Halal industry’s growth and profitability.
The Chairman, Sokoto State Zakat & Endowment Commission, Dr. Muhammad Lawal Maidoki, while delivering his keynote address noted that the significance of Halal certification can not be overstated.
Maidoki said, “Zakat, Waqf, and Sadaqat all come from halal income and are generated from halal businesses such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and the likes. The concept of Halal defines products, services, and transactions permitted for consumption or engagement in Islam; Haram is the opposite.”
He noted that Nigeria stands to gain the much-demanded foreign exchange currency inflows from the sale of its products and services abroad.
Maidoki stressed that the vast opportunities in the Halal industry can solve the food crisis challenges that the world is currently grappling with through local and global partnerships and synergies between the Halal industry and Islamic social finance.
He stressed that there is a need for standardisation in the sector with robust regulations to share knowledge widely and professionally, saying this would lead to quality assurance and best practices.
Maidoki called for more public awareness; translation of Halal texts into local languages; collaboration with reliable; strong international partners to leverage their experiences; as well as quality expertise and the enabling infrastructure.
On his part, the Chairman management team of the Halal Certification Authority, Prof Ibrahim Oreagba, said the theme of the seminar was most appropriate at this point of Nigeria’s development, adding that it aligns with the strategic objective which is to develop human capacity in the field of Halal industry.
Oreagba said, “The vision of HCA was to be the foremost Halal certification body in Sub-Saharan Africa, offering service to clients, local and international, under Islamic Law, using seasoned professionals and deploying state-of-the-art technology for customer satisfaction while meeting stakeholders’ expectations.”
The chairman stated that the global Halal industry is estimated to be worth around $2.3trillion a year and is one of the fastest growing markets despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Halal industry is no longer confined to food and food-related products, but instead includes pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, health products, toiletries, and medical devices, as well as service sector components such as hospitality, logistics, marketing, print and electronic media, packaging, branding, and financing,” he said.
On the milestone achievements of HCA, Oreagba said the institute has certified over 50 local and international clients, registered with the Malaysian Halal Council (JAKIM), 2019, and Halal Accreditation Agency Turkey, 2019.
“The organisation is collaborating with other Halal certification bodies in Nigeria during the Halal stakeholders’ forum in 2020, HCA has ongoing partnerships with the federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, (FIIRO) National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), Abuja Chamber of Commerce (ACCI), Lagos State Government Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture,” he said.
On the occasion, the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya said the state is targeting the Halal market, particularly in the meat consumption space, and is willing to train citizens to have deep knowledge of Halal.
Olusanya, who was represented by the Assistant General Manager, Market Research and Development in the ministry, Olatoyinbo Ojuri noted that the Lagos state government has already keyed into the Halal meat industry with lots of reforms in the red meat value chain.
She said, “Aside from improving the way we handle our meat, the basis of that is that we want wholesome meat to be available for the populace, and also because Lagos state is projecting Lagos beef to the world. We want to have beef exported to the world. That’s why we started some reforms.”
Other dignitaries who bared their minds on the occasion were the Acting Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University of Technology (LASUSTECH), Dr. Nurudeen Olaleye, represented by Dr. Ibrahim Akosile; the Vice President, Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), Dr. Bola Oshinowo; the MD/CEO of Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Sulaiman Olagunju amongst others.
This year’s edition of the HCA’s international Halal seminar was unique as it attracted the participation of HCA’s clients and brand partners as well as industry professionals, who administered quality training to help participants build capacity and unfettered access to the fast-growing Halal market in Nigeria, Africa particularly and the world at large.
Among those who were represented at the event were industry experts, Halal industry regulators, the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment of Nigeria, officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, academia, finance experts, business owners, members, and professionals preparing to transition into the Halal market.
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