Nigeria has decided to ban all imports of ready-to-drink fruit juice.

The restrictions were designed to help local industry compete with foreign goods, a cabinet minister said.

Fruit juice is the latest product to be targeted by the oil-producing country.

If you want to import fruit juice, it must be in drums Jerry Gana Nigerian information minister

Last year, import bans were slapped on rice, of which Nigeria is one of the world's biggest importers, and poultry.

Drugs ban

Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo has pledged to revive the country's sluggish agriculture and food processing industries.

These sectors have been neglected ever since oil became Nigeria's main export product in the 1970s.

On Thursday, the cabinet also approved an import ban on drugs into the country in an attempt to crackdown on the sale of fake and out-of-date pharmaceuticals.

Drugs and other pharmaceutical products can now only be imported if they come in through Nigeria's seaports instead of overland via neighbouring African states.

Officials estimated more than 70% of drugs in circulation in Nigeria are fake or adulterated.

Generate income

Nigeria imports vast quantities of fruit juice from Europe and South Africa.

"Fruit juice can come into Nigeria only in concentrate form and in drums but not in retail finished product. Not in retail packs, ready to drink," Nigerian information minister Jerry Gana said.

"So, if you want to import fruit juice, it must be in drums so that it can be packed in Nigeria so that there will be value added and this will generate employment, generate income," he added.