NEPC, Fidelity Bank, sensitize Aba shoe/garment makers on AGOA

Shoe and garment makers in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State have been advised to take advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), to export their products to the United States of America.

AGOA is a United States Trade Act that significantly enhances US market access for (currently) 39 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.

The act originally covered the eight-year period from October 2000 to September 2008, but further amendments extended it to 2025.

However, Nigeria has not maximized the opportunities in the Act to export to the large American market, like Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and other African countries, Olusegun Awolowo, chief executive officer, Nigerian Export promotion Council (NEPC), observes.

The NEPC boss, made the observation Wednesday, in Aba, at the opening ceremony of  a-two day workshop tagged, “Taking advantage of export opportunities to the United States, organized by the Council in conjunction with Fidelity Bank plc and the West African Trade and Investment Hub, Ghana in Aba

Represented at the workshop by, Babatunde Faleke, an executive director and Regional coordinator, South-West, NEPC, Awolowo affirmed that Aba finished leather and garment clusters have the potential to export to the US.

He stated that the Council’s partnership with Fidelity Bank plc and the West African Trade and Investment Hub, would to ensure that they comply with specifications and standards required in the US.

He commended Fidelity Bank plc, for sponsoring the workshop. Which according to him, is part of their corporate social responsibility programme.

“Aba has the potential to export under AGOA, they only need to pay attention to details to penetrate the American market.

He decried high cost of production in the country, which he attributed to insufficient power supply and appealed to the Federal and State Governments to establish clusters to ameliorate the challenges faced by the micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) in the country.

And to the artisans, he urged them to form synergy to be able to present their problems to the Government.

Nnamdi Okonkwo,managing director/chief executive officer, Fidelity Bank plc, who was represented at the forum, by Kenneth Okpara, a deputy general manager, described Aba artisans as the engine of growth of the economy and pledged the bank’s support to ensure that they export their products, not only to the Unites States of America, but also to other countries of the world.

AGOA builds on existing US trade programmes by expanding the (duty-free) benefits previously available only under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme.

Duty-free access to the US market under the combined AGOA/GSP programme stands at approximately 7,000 product tariff lines, including the roughly 1,800 product tariff lines that are added to the GSP by the AGOA legislation.

Notably, these include items such as apparel and footwear, wine, certain motor vehicle components, a variety of agricultural products, chemicals, steel and others.

Also present at the workshop, which attracted stakeholders in finished leather and garmeny sectors of the economy, include Mohamed Abou-iiana, senior AGOA specialist of the West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, Emmanuel Odonkor also of West African Trade and Investment Hub,  Esther Ikporah, director, Abakaliki smart office of the NEPC, who represented the zonal controller, South-East zone of the NEPC, Relicx Shoilban, acting director, NEPC Smart Office,  Aba and Joseph Ogungbade, head AGOA Desk, South-West zone, NEPC.

 

GODFREY OFURUM