As Nigeria looks to diversify its economy by expanding and increasing non-oil exports for sustainable and inclusive economic growth, stakeholders in the aviation and export sector have explained ways by which to boost export of agro produce through air flight.
According to data from Nigeria Export Promotion Council, (NEPC), Nigeria’s Non-oil products (in volume and value terms) exported at 1st half year 2023, as reported by the various Pre-shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs) stood at 3,944,344.17 Metric tonnes and 2.539 Million which unfortunately, shows a slight decrease of 0.09 percent against the recorded figure of US$ 2.593 Billion for the first-half of the year 2022.
In a presentation by NEPC at the 3rd Chinet Aviacargo Conference, the council stated that over the years, the Council has initiated and implemented a series of reforms and programmes aimed at diversifying the economy. This has led to appreciable growth in the non-oil export sector. Some of these reforms/projects include;
Fully automated online application processing platform for seamless registration of exporters, process time application within 24 hours for issuance of export certificate (Subject to meeting registration requirements) and online generation of the exporter’s registration requirements; 14,176 companies registered between January 2021 –June 2023.
The council also stated that it has successfully integrated with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to validate company status and verification of registration documents.
Experts present at the event, stated that logistics can be a major barrier to exporting cargo products.
In order to improve export efficiency, they suggested strategies to reduce barriers to include streamlining transportation, optimize packaging, leveraging technology, and ensuring compliance with various regulations and requirements.
Also speaking at the conference, Simon Idoko, business development manager, Katchey , a wholly Nigerian-owned company providing laboratory products said Africa’s young population is a major asset but calls for serious top level strategic and coordinated plans, to articulate policies and effectively harness resources to develop them for sustainable impact.
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Idoko listed technical regulations and controls for agro produce for exports to include commercial quality and labelling regulations, food safety regulations; maximum residue limits of pesticides, biological contamination and product traceability; environmental safety and phytosanitary regulations and customs clearance.
Sanwo Olu, Deputy Director, Export Division, Ports Inspection Directorate, The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) listed challenges of exportation of regulated products and non-adherence to standardized clearance procedure by stakeholders; Freight forwarders, Cargo handlers, Airlines/Carriers, Regulatory Agencies etcetera.
Other challenges he said include poor inter-Agency collaboration amongst sister regulatory agencies , inadequate knowledge of stakeholders on approved packaging and labelling requirements by stakeholders in the export corridor, inadequate logistic at the export terminal, exporting regulated product without recourse to NAFDAC processes and rejection of NAFDAC regulated products at borders of importing countries for several reasons bordering on quality and standard due poor packaging, handling and non-compliance with regulatory processes by exporters.
By addressing these issues, he said exporters can unlock the logistics barrier and improve their ability to export cargo products efficiently and cost-effectively and develop relationships with local logistics providers.
Sanwo Olu advised that exporters who are looking to improve their logistics efficiency should consider developing relationships with local logistics providers.
He said these providers have extensive knowledge of the local transportation infrastructure, customs regulations, and other logistical considerations that can impact the movement of goods.
By partnering with these providers, he said exporters can gain access to their networks and expertise, which can help to streamline transportation processes and reduce costs.
Themed ‘Unlocking the Logistics Barrier to Improved Agro Product Exports,’ Chinet Aviacargo Conference focused on moving the country to its desired objective of making Nigeria a cargo and export hub.
Ikechi Uko, the organizer said Nigeria is the leading producer of many agro products but does not export much of these products. It is believed that the challenge of Nigeria and most African countries is in the logistics problems between the farm and the airport.
Hence, the need to unlock this barrier to improve and increase agro produce will be the focus of Chinet 2023, he added.
