The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, has assured Nigerian exporters of targeted policy interventions to address the challenges hampering their growth.
Speaking during a ministerial consultation with the top 100 exporters in Lagos, she described 2024 as a pivotal year for Nigerian businesses and promised to develop a comprehensive action plan with clear timelines to resolve issues raised by exporters.
The consultation brought together key regulatory agencies, including Customs, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to discuss and streamline solutions to export-related challenges.
“We are determined to ensure that all bureaucratic challenges are systematically addressed,” Oduwole said. She emphasised the ministry’s commitment to supporting not only exporters of goods but also service exporters.
Describing service exports as the “lowest-hanging fruit,” she highlighted their potential to empower Nigerian youth by enabling them to export their talents, earn foreign exchange, and contribute to economic growth.
She also noted Nigeria’s readiness to lead in digital trade and leverage this potential to revive the country’s commodity exchange.
“Overlapping duties that cost importers and exporters more are not new to us. We intend to work on them with fresh eyes by streamlining the issues exporters have raised. I have given the marching orders, and together, we are going to deliver for the economy,” she added.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Nura Abba Rimi, underscored the strategic importance of exports in driving economic revival.
He highlighted exports as critical to creating jobs, increasing foreign exchange earnings, and positioning Nigeria to thrive in the competitive global marketplace.
“The consultation provides a platform to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities shaping Nigeria’s export landscape. We are committed to tackling market access issues, regulatory bottlenecks, and infrastructural constraints, ensuring alignment with global best practices,” Rimi said.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.