The Nigerian Export Promotion Council, (NEPC) on Monday ranked the nation as global leader in the export of seven agricultural produce namely yams, cocoa yam, cassava, Melon, Kola nut Sorghum and Shea nut.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This was revealed in Lagos by Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo at a business seminar on titled: ‘provision of a seamless logistics service as a panacea for economic growth ‘
He noted that the feat was achieved because of the Council’s decision to streamlining the procedures and documentation of export.
Awolowo said streamlining procedures and documentation to achieve optimality in cost was necessary for competitiveness in the export market.
He explained that there are 22 steps to exporting goods and lengthy and cumbersome procedures tend to add to cost of doing business.
He further hinted that opportunities available in non-oil export will remain a mirage if the issue of procedures and documentations remained cumbersome.
In his words: “While time is recorded in calendar days or average duration of the company interaction with various agencies, cost captures official fees paid for certificates and testing as both procedure and documentation are dependent on time and cost.
“Trade dynamics are evolving, competition for Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and easier ways of doing business are increasingly impacting trade relations.”
Explaining further, Awolowo said that the NEPC has also stepped up efforts at encouraging private investors to build export warehouses to serve as one stop shop for non-oil exports adding that the availability of all relevant inspection and certification agencies under the same roof will also reduce cost.
In his opening remarks, convener of the conference Mr. Ali Shobande said that the move to establish an export terminal at the Lilipond in Apapa was to further reduce the cost of exporters in the course of doing their businesses.