The 2022 International Halal Seminar and Exhibition facilitated by the foremost halal certification body in Nigeria, Halal Certification Authority (HCA), has come and gone, but the event left a lasting impression on all stakeholders.
The impression was in relation to the future prospects of the global halal industry and the opportunities that abound in it for Nigeria.
The 3rd edition with the theme: “Halal for All: Between Sustainability and Profitability,” was held on August 8th and 9th at Digital Bridge Institute, Oshodi, Lagos.
Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and the Chairman, Sokoto State Zakat and Endowment Commission, Dr. Muhammad Lawal Maidoki were the keynote speakers at the event.
This year’s edition of the HCA’s international halal seminar was unique, as it attracted the presence of stakeholders from the international halal community and the Nigerian government.
The two-day programme also had 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 into the fast-growing halal market in Nigeria, Africa particularly and the world at large.
Among those 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.
Halal Transcends Food, Beverages – Hanga
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the events, Chairman, 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.
According to Hanga, 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.
“The halal food ensures that the products used are not with haram ingredients, ” he said.
He made reference to Thailand as a country that established a sector dedicated to halal and equipped the industry with the enabling and advanced devices.
Hanga acknowledged the remarkable growth halal economy is recording globally, saying, “It may grow to 20% annually according to the global Islamic report 2022.
Besides, he disclosed that the global sales of halal products or services for 2020 and 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 symbolizes cleanliness, richness, integrity, and safety.”
Hanga 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.
He described halal as a profitable business worldwide for people, who care about product quality and safe health.
Demands For Halal-Certified Products Growing Globally – Adebayo
The halal technical chairman noted that the theme of the 2022 halal seminar was imperative to the industry, sustainable infrastructure, equipment, and development would accelerate the halal industry growth and profitability.
Adebayo, represented by Amb. Mariam Katagum, stressed on the need for diversification of the economy through exportation of value and products.
He noted that there is growing demand for halal-certified products globally, especially in the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, and the South.
He said 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.
The minister expressed concern that Nigeria has not been able to take advantage of the vast global halal market to achieve growth and attract investments.
“Many people consume halal products or services worldwide, and Nigerians should also enjoy the benefits,” he said.
What Nigerians Stand To Gain – Maidoki
Also speaking, Maidoki noted that the significance of halal certification cannot be overstated.
He 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.”
Maidoki noted that Nigeria stands to gain the much-demanded foreign exchange inflows from the sale of its products and services abroad.
He stressed that the vast opportunities in the halal industry can solve the food crisis challenge that the world is currently grappling with through local and global partnerships and synergies between the halal industry and Islamic social finance.
He noted there is a need for standardization 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 expertise and the enabling infrastructure.
Theme Driven By Need To Develop Human Capacity in Halal Industry – Organisers
The Chairman, management team of the Halal Certification Authority, Prof Ibrahim Oreagba, described the theme of the seminar as most appropriate at this point of Nigeria’s development.
He stressed that the theme: “Halal for All: Between Sustainability and Profitability,” aligns with the strategic objectives which is to develop human capacity in the halal industry.
Oreagba said, “The vision of HCA is 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 about $2.3trillion a year and one of the fastest growing markets despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The halal industry is no longer confined to food and food-related products, 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), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), the Abuja Chamber of Commerce (ACCI), Lagos State Government Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture,” he said.”
Lagos Has Interest In Halal Market – Commissioner
The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya has disclosed that the state is targeting the halal market, particularly in the meat consumption space and 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 the State is projecting Lagos beef to the world. We want to have beef exported to the world. That’s why we started some reforms.”
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University of Technology (LASUSTECH), Dr. Nurudeen Olaleye, represented by Dr. Ibrahim Akosile, expressed the university’s readiness to partner with the HCA.
He noted the partnership will further propagate Halal courses and make them available to students across the state and Nigeria.
The Vice-President, Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), Dr. Bola Oshinowo described the partnership as vital, saying it would facilitate productive halal-centric activities and transactions.
The MD/CEO of Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, Sulaiman Olagunju said the foundation’s working strategy was to empower people and reduce poverty through halal.
He expressed optimism that the University’s envisioned partnership with HCA would yield development for the country.
