The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been exporting the country’s crude oil without an export certificate of origin issued by the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, the body has said.
According to the Vice President, NACCIMA, Billy Harry, the NNPC does not apply for the certificate of origin to export Nigeria’s crude oil despite the fact that it is part of the requirements for every export product emanating from the country.
Expressing worry over the current glut in the sale of Nigeria’s crude in the international market and its dwindling export, Harry called on the corporation to embrace NACCIMA’s electronic certificate of origin, otherwise called eCertify, as this would help to turn around the fortunes of the country’s crude oil sale and open new markets for the commodity.
Harry, in a statement, said due to the popularity of Nigeria’s crude oil globally, a number of countries had shown interest in doing business with the country but stressed that many of them were not coming forward because of issues around integrity and good business practices.
He said, “Oil export, somehow, also requires documentation. And of course, Nigeria’s crude oil is known all over the world; so, we would encourage the NNPC to apply for the certificate of origin to further help in attracting additional interest to Nigeria’s crude.
“Prior to now, they were not doing that. We advise them to do so, because these are all exports and countries who still today prefer to trade with Nigeria will want to do so, especially as the NACCIMA eCertify will help enhance those values.”
The NACCIMA vice president said the eCertify initiative started in June 2015, with the support of the Federal Government and other agencies involved in export trade.
The eCertify, he said, was a single source certificate of origin for all exportable products and services to the European Union, Asia, North and South America, The Caribbean, Economic Community of West African States and all D8 countries.
Harry said, “We want to make Nigeria good, we want Nigeria’s export business to grow and boom. We want the export business to be the next major revenue earner for Nigeria; and going forward, NACCIMA is going to be advocating for agriculture and export as a complimentary value for our oil and gas, which we know is something that can be done in abundance in this country.
“And of course, it will create opportunity for jobs and employment, because the more quality goods we are exporting, the more our businesses will expand. And the more businesses expand, the more it creates room for additional staff, which is what we need so as to adequately engage our teeming youths.”
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