Exporters advocate one-stop processing system to ease trade bottlenecks

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s non-oil export sector have called for the establishment of a one-stop export processing system to address persistent bottlenecks hindering trade and limiting the country’s competitiveness in the global market.

The call was made on Tuesday in Abuja at a policy roundtable and the dissemination of a market access study for Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.

The event, themed “Advancing SME Competitiveness under DCTS and AfCFTA,” brought together policymakers, regulators, development partners, private sector leaders, and exporters to review findings and chart a pathway for reforms.

Ahmad Rabiu, National President of the Network of Practising Non-Oil Exporters of Nigeria (NPNEN), said the study highlighted deep-rooted structural and policy gaps affecting the ease of doing export business in the country.

According to him, while institutions such as the Central Bank of Nigeria and other government agencies have introduced measures to support exporters, many of the policies were designed without sufficient consideration of on-the-ground realities, including infrastructure deficits, limited exporter capacity, and weak institutional support systems.

“This report has brought to the table real-life challenges within our export ecosystem. It identifies barriers and proposes practical solutions, especially in aligning policies with the actual operating environment of exporters,” Rabiu said.

He stressed that many exporters struggle to meet international standards due to inadequate knowledge, weak compliance systems, and limited support from regulatory bodies, adding that rejected shipments not only result in financial losses but also discourage participation in export trade.

Rabiu also underscored the need for stronger collaboration among stakeholders, noting that the roundtable provided an opportunity for exporters and regulators, including the Nigeria Customs Service and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, to collectively agree on implementable reforms.

He further pointed to the untapped potential of inland dry ports, citing the long-delayed Daura Dry Port project, which he said could significantly reduce congestion at seaports and improve logistics for exporters in the hinterland if fully operational.

“I found the Daura dry port over 25 years ago regrettably due to policy somersault, the project is yet to be what it ought to be because it’s supposed to be a port of origin for export and a destination for people from there anywhere in the world so that importers and exporters in the hinterland do not have to visit seaport for their cargo,” he adde.d

On his part, Olufemi Boyede, President of the Nigeria Trade and Investment Centre, Canada, described the one-stop export processing system as an ideal but necessary goal for Nigeria.

He noted that one of the biggest challenges facing exporters is the multiplicity of regulatory agencies at ports, which increases the cost of doing business and reduces Nigeria’s competitiveness.

“one of the biggest barriers is a multiplicity of so-called regulators at Nigeria’s export points whether it be at the airport or at the seaport or even at a semi-border you have them flexing their muscles and collecting one revenue or the other that all aggregate to add to the unit price of Nigeria’s export and drive below the expectations Nigeria’s ability to compete in the international market,” Boyede said.

He added that achieving a seamless export system would require strong collaboration between the public and private sectors, emphasising that reform must go beyond policy pronouncements to coordinated implementation.

Also speaking, Sand Mba, Executive Director of African International Trade and Commerce Research, revealed that the study found that a majority of Nigerian exporters face challenges even before reaching the border.

He said about 62 per cent of exporters identified pre-border issues such as logistics constraints, difficulty meeting compliance requirements, and unofficial charges as major barriers.

“Many exporters are willing to comply with international standards, but they lack the necessary support systems. There is no clear structure guiding them on where to go for assistance, and access to finance remains a major constraint.

“Also,o the issue of unofficial money requestisre the majorissues so far; however the majority want to comply, but they don’t have that support,” Mba said.

He further disclosed that most small and medium-sized exporters operate at very low scales, with many earning below $50,000 annually, limiting their ability to compete globally.

MBA also noted low awareness of key trade frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which are designed to enhance market access for Nigerian products.