The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) have mutually consented to partner as a way of increasing Nigeria’s export volume.
The decision to partner was disclosed when the Executive Secretary (ES) Nigerian Shippers Council Mr. Hassan Bello paid a courtesy visit to the Executive director/CEO the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) Mr. Olusegun Awolowo.
The ES noted that the partnership will end the tradition of empty containers leaving Nigeria, saying unless Nigeria drives her export volume now, the economy will be worst for it in the near future with crude oil slump.
According to Bello, out of ten containers than come into Nigeria laden, only two to three are taken out with exports, when the country can do more or better in terms of export.
He said, ” One of the ways the NSC is facilitating export is to cut export charges to the barest minimum, and with the digitisation of the ports and with the multi-modal transportation access which have commenced, exports would be facilitated.
” Once these happen, the ports efficiency will improve and the dwell time for cargo will reduce to six days maximum.
“ We have to incentivize the exporters. We need to bring the incentives in a total package. Even our terminals are not export friendly. The cost of export is higher than our competitors. The government must be conscious and concerted by this,” he stated.
He further as d Nigeria has no option but to look inward and improve on exports in the country due to the volatile, uncertain and unpredictability nature of oil which Nigeria has been exposed.
” We have learnt our lessons. If we didn’t go back to producing rice locally, when the pandemic came, China and Thailand were no longer shipping rice to us so we wouldn’t have had rice.
” We have 63 products which we may have competitive edge for export,” stated Bello
The CEO NEPC, Mr. Segun Awolowo said his agency has identified 22 export commodities that can help Nigeria reverse the ugly trend of import containers going back empty without export from Nigeria in them.
He aver that Nigeria must refocus the economy to the extent of non reliance on crude oil to survive, adding that his agency wants to key into inland container deports across the country starting with Kaduna dry port to drive exports promotion.
