LCCI, NEPC partner to boost export of made-in- Nigeria products

The Lagos State Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) have inaugurated an implementation committee comprising regulatory agencies in the export sector such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Their mandate is primarily to grow the exportation of Nigerian products to the West African market.

It is also tasked with the responsibility of driving the actualisation of a project tagged ‘Nigeria ECOWAS Export Development (NEED)’.

Speaking during the inauguration, Babatunde Ruwase, president of LCCI, noted that there was a need for the review of the state of the economic integration in the sub-region, which would help identify the challenges and proffer solutions, especially from private sector perspective.

According to Ruwase, the current frustrating barriers to trade in the ECOWAS region and the failure of implementation of several trade treaties were hindering business in the sub-region from enjoying significant benefits of a robust market of over 350 million people.

This, Ruwase said, had made private organisations and institutions confine themselves to the comfort of their individual countries when counterparts in other parts of the world were advancing frontiers of their economies and markets through integration.

“In these days of the growing forces of globalisation, this individualistic disposition and outlook may not be sustainable. We need to broaden our perspectives and thinking beyond our individual countries. We should begin to develop not only national but also continental and global outlook for our businesses and economies.”

Also in his remarks Muda Yusuf, director-general of LCCI, charged the committee to ensure that strategies and agreement reached were fully implemented.

“Over the years, we have had several projects to drive regional trade. We are hopeful that resolutions reached will be carried out by all stakeholders involved,” Yusuf said.

Describing ECOWAS market as largely untapped potential for Nigeria’s non-oil exports, Bamidele Ayemibo, chairman of the committee, said the project would see more agricultural products in Nigeria such as cereals, snacks, plastic products, pharmaceuticals, fish and sea foods easily produced in the country and exported to the regional market.

“The effective implementation of NEED programme is key to conquering the West Africa and indeed the Africa markets, especially for the medium scale businesses, and this can only be possible if this public-private partnership works,” Ayemibo said.

David Ibemere