Export council to promote Nigerian goods

Export council to promote Nigerian goods
Garba Lere, Kano.

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has said that the council along with other stakeholders will intensify the promotion of Nigerian goods in the ECOWAS sub-region through the establishment of the Nigerian export Trade House Limited (NEXPORTRADE).

The Executive Director of NEPC, Mr. David Adulugba, made the statement at a workshop on ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme held in Kano.

Mr David said that the Nigerian export Trade House was a public-private partnership initiative aimed at checkmating informal trade and facilitating formal cross-border trade and investment within the ECOWAS zone and Africa as a whole.

He said that the council was out to assist Nigerian exporters to penetrate into the ECOWAS markets through sponsorship to international Trade Fairs in ECOWAS member countries.

Success story

Mr. David added that since the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme became operational in 1988, over 1,411 products from Nigeria have so far been admitted into the scheme by the ECOWAS.

In his paper presentation, the Assistant Director, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ECOWAS Division, Mr Safiu Olukayode Olaniyan, identified some of the challenges militating against smooth implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization.

According to him, the challenges include, Limited sub regional market, absence or poor application of market driven strategies, over dependence on Natural resources.

He reminded the participants that Economic cooperation had become a dominant factor in the contemporary international relations.

“Today, Nations are increasingly pursuing economic prosperity through bilateral and multi lateral networks,” Safiu said.

Approved routes

The controller of custom Kano/Jigawa zone, Mr Hussein, advised that all imports and exports must be channelled through the approved customs routes, which could be seaport, air port, or Land Boarders that are designated.

The Theme of the workshop is “ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme- Provisions and challenges of implementation”.

Qasim