In line with Codex Alimentarius Commission and the African Regional guidelines, the National Codex Committee in Nigeria is responsible for synthesizing and articulating national positions to Codex meetings and guiding national policies on food standards, safety and international food trade issues. It has about 27 member Organisations (Membership) comprising of relevant Ministries, Agencies of Government, Manufacturers Associations, Trade Groups and professional Experts/Consultants in foods and food related issues as follows (NCC Procedural Manual):

• Federal Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Water resources, Commerce and Industry, Science and Technology, Environment, National Planning Commission;
   

• Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON);

• National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC);

• Food Industries (Association of Food Beverages and Tobacco Employees- AFBTE);

• Nigeria Customs Service;

• National Food Reserve Agency;

• National Biotechnology Development Agency;

• Nigerian Quarantine Service;

• Nigerian Police Force;

• Federal Department of Fisheries;

• Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigeria Chambers of Commerce Industries, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), National Association of Small Scale Industries (NASSI), National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises ( NASME).

The Honourable Minister of Health, Federal Ministry of Health is the Chairman (usually represented by the Director Food and Drugs Services) while the Standards Organisation of Nigeria is the Secretariat, Headed by the Director General of the Organisation. The National codex Committee provides technical forum for:

• rticulating national guidelines for protecting the health of the consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade;

• Promoting co-ordination of all food standards work undertaken by national, international governmental and non-governmental organizations;

• Determining priorities and initiating draft standards through and with the aid of appropriate organizations;

• Initiating review of published standards, after appropriate survey in the light of developments;

• Discussing issue relating to codex and other regional standards on composition, safety, labeling, analysis and marketing of foods

• Initiating scientific and technical data, generating research or collaborative studies, collating and processing data to enhance and enrich national, Codex and regional standards and all aspects of food regulations and marketing.

The Committee meets quarterly (i.e 4 times in a year) and operates four Sub-Committees as follows:

•        General Purpose Sub-committee

• Animal and Animal Products Sub-committee;

• Plants and Plants Products Sub-committee

• Special Projects Sub-committees

Each of these Sub-Committees have specified scope of work within the context of the Codex Alimentarius Commission standards, guidelines, code of practices and other advisory texts. Also terms of references are provided for each of these Sub-committees.
The scope of Work for the General Purposes Sub-Committee includes:

Pesticide Residues in food
Residue of veterinary drugs in food
Food additives and Contaminants
Food labeling
Food Hygiene
Food Import and Export inspection and certification
Methods of analysis and sampling
General principles

For Animal and Animal Products Sub-Committee:

Meat and poultry products
Fish and fish products
Milk and milk products

For Plants and Plants Products Sub-Committee:

Cereals, pulses and legumes
Vegetable proteins
Fats and Oils
Cocoa and chocolates products
Sugar and Honey
Fresh fruits and Vegetables
Processed Fruit and Vegetables Soups, Broths and Boillion cubes
Roots and Tubers
Nuts

For special Projects Sub-Committee:

Biotechnology
Food for special dietary Uses
Mineral Waters Animal feeding

Food supplements Beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholics)
All the meetings of the Sub-Committees are coordinated by the NCC Secretariat which happens to be the Secretariat of the Codex Contact Point. Reports of the Sub-Committees are prepared and presented at the quarterly meetings of the NCC for final deliberations and decisions for implementation.