Despite challenges facing the economy occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and the oil price crash, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) under the leadership of Segun Awolowo, its CEO, has succeeded in sustaining exports.
This it has done with the commissioning of a British Airways Cargo through Free On Board Global Logistics Limited, a freight and forwarding company, for exports to the United Kingdom, European Union countries and the United States.
This initiative, in collaboration with the Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Export Action Group (NEXAG), is already serving as a relief to exporters who must have been pondering how to convey their products to these destinations amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns it has necessitated across the globe.
Jimmy Adebakin, CEO, Free On Board Global Logistics Limited, confirmed that the firm has moved cumulatively in excess of 60 tons of Nigerian non-perishable foods, yam, noodles, garri, fish and vegetables to London.
Upon arrival in London, he said the firm provided transshipment services across Europe to North America as well, and the interest is growing every day.
Adebakin said every flight exceeds the performance of previous flight and there is hope that with the right support and publicity, more would be achieved.
“It seems finally that Nigerians have woken up and the COVID-19 has brought it home that we can no longer continue to depend on oil and people are taking the initiative to get involved in this Nigeria non-oil export drive,” Adebakin said.
“We have been supported highly by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Nigeria Export Forum (NEF). They’ve supported us and we are very grateful for that. We see a change in the curve. We see a change in the attitude and we believe that we need to let Nigerians know that COVID 19 pandemic is here to stay for a long time and the only way we can support ourselves and the Federal Government of Nigeria is for us to look inwards as individuals, corporate entities and as a government to create the enabling environment, not by lip service anymore,” he said.
Bamidele Ayemibo, an exporter who has been part of the new arrangement, commended the initiative, saying it has helped them to do shipment during this period because everything has been slowed down.
“I think it’s a good initiative. So instead of not being able to do shipping at all, we have been able to do some few shipping,” Ayemibo said.
Speaking further, Adebakin said COVID-19 has demonstrated that the Nigerian government cannot do everything and that the effort has to be private sector-driven.
“This is why we have made it a point of duty. Yes, we are freight forwarding company since 1970 but we see this as a national assignment now. Currently, we only have four international cargo flights coming into Nigeria. This is subnormal for a nation of 200 million people and these four cargo flights are practically 99 percent COVID-19-related materials they are bringing in,” Adebakin said.
“If you go to supermarket now, you will see that prices are increasing. Chivita is now selling at N800. This is a local production,” he said.
He said what is happening now is a wake-up call and that the initiative needs to be give publicity.
“We are totally committed with our global network. Our cargo services align with offices in over 3,700 cities of the world in over 180 countries and they are all supporting our drive to provide not only custom clearance on the arrival of the shipment at the destination, they are providing warehousing facilities, distribution facility and they have agreed to support Nigerian exporters to recoup their money,” he said. “That is another problem that Nigeria exporters are facing, they do not have representation at the country of designation where they have sent their goods to.”
Adebakin said some products that are urgent that need to be at the destination within three days are moved by air, while items like crops are moved by sea. He said there is huge demand in soya beans which is also moved by sea.
“Our value proposition to the Nigeria Export Promotion Council and Nigeria Export Action Group is for them to remove the shackle of the cost of freight being payable in advance because a lot of people will get involved in export if they know that the cost of freight will be payable upon arrival of the shipment which is what we have proposed to NEPC,” Adebakin said.
“If we have the government backing, our partners globally are willing for us to sign an understanding with Nigerian Export Promotion Council that we will carry freight out of Nigeria into the country of destination and it’s upon the arrival of the Nigeria non-oil export that has been shipped from Nigeria that payment for freight will be due.
“This will relieve a lot of Nigerians who are thinking on the fringes of ‘let’s get involved in this export drive’. We strongly believe that if we can take that away, that will be a game changer for Nigeria from the business of tomorrow and business of today,” he said.
