Agricultural Produce Sellers Association of Nigeria (APSAN) said it has opened a portal to recruit eligible Nigerians into its workforce in a bid to fight substandard agricultural produce and usafe food in Nigeria.

APSAN national president, Comrade Aloys Akortsaha, who disclosed this to journalists in Abuja, on Wednesday, said all Nigerian youth with a minimum O’level qualification and above are eligible to apply.

Athough the World Health Organisation (WHO) had formulated five key requirements to ensure food safety globally but achieving safety has been a struggle in Nigeria as available data shows that over 200,000 Nigerians die annually from food borne illnesses.

According to Akortsaha, the recruitment is aimed to employ five persons per local government area across the country and enable the organisation eradicate unsafe and contaminated food, fake and substandard agricultural produce in the country.

He added that the recruitment which is done in collaboration with the Sandard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), is also designed to drive the federal government’s policy of ‘Zero Reject’ in the exportation of agro produce.

Akortsaha said that the portal which can be accessed via www.apsanonline.com.ng has been launched on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 and would be opened for a period of one month to receive applications free of charge.

He said successfull applicants would undergo intensive training by SON, after which they would be deployed to work with security agencies across local governments to educate farmers on the dangers of selling unsafe agro produce, inspect, and investigate any agro manufacturing and food processing outlet in Nigeria and report defaulters to NAFDAC and SON for prosecution.

“We are calling on Nigerians to avail themselves and apply for the job as a way to contribute their quota to national development,” he added.
Engr Nnena Kukoyi Reporting for Delta Restoration media Team