My name is Oluwakemi Ajiboye, a certified clinical skin therapist and founder of Crystal Shine Skin Clinic. At present, my company has products duly registered by NAFDAC.

Having observed the international packaging standard from different countries, I decided to improve on the standard of my product packaging and design for my dear fellow Nigerians.

Before now, to alter a packaging design costs about N10,500 per product but on getting to NAFDAC I was welcomed with a hiked rate of N84,000 per product. Out of curiosity, I inquired what informed such decision and to my surprise, I got to know that it was a general price increase on some NAFDAC services as shown below:

Product Registration: Old rate = N73,500, New rate = N147,000
Pack size extension: Old Rate = N10,500; New rate = N84,000
Change in Pack design: Old Rate = N10,500, New rate = N84,000
Cosmetics lab analysis: Old Rate = N21,000, New rate = N84,000
Change in Product Name: Old Rate = N21,000, New rate = N84,000

SME is considered one of the major bedrocks in building the Nation’s economy. With this new rate, a handful of legally registered small scale manufacturers will result to noncompliance in order to remain in business. This is indeed a corrosive approach to building a Nation’s economy.

Dear Mr President, Mr Vice President and DG NAFDAC, allow us in the SME manufacturing sector help salvage what is left of this economy. Do not throttle us please.

To all my SME compatriots, it’s time to lend your voice and speak up, irrespective of being in the manufacturing sector or not, say NO to this. If NAFDAC does this unchallenged, it’s just a matter of time, same will surely happen in every other sector.