…As Institute urges Nigerians to explore export business for economic development***
The Director-General, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine (NAQS), Dr Vincent Isegbe on Thursday stated that Nigeria will soon resume the exportation of hibiscus flower to Mexico.
Isegbe indicated this in Kano at a stakeholders’ sensitization workshop, noting that exportation would resume, after two-and-a-half years of banning the country from exporting the product.
According to him, the ban has consumed over 85 per cent of hibiscus flowers produced in Nigeria.
He said that NAQS had succeeded in reaching an agreement with the Mexican authorities on the exportation processes that needed to be complied with.
Isegbe said that the sensitisation meeting was aimed at informing stakeholders in the hibiscus value chain on the latest development and to clear the air on the misconception on the use of Methyl bromide in pre-shipment storage.
“As a supervisory agency, I want to state here that we have not selected any exporter in preference for another; we have done all it takes to see that exportation of hibiscus flower has resumed.
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“However, it is equally very important to note that Nigeria is not the only country that has approved the use of Methyl bromide for pre-shipment storage.
“With the cooperation of major players along the value chain of hibiscus flower production, we have completed all arrangements to resume exportation to Mexico,” he said.
The National President, Hibiscus Exporters’ Association of Nigeria, Mr Olatunji Lawal, said the country had lost huge revenue as a result of the over two years ban on the exportation of the flower.
He added the exportation would boost the country’s economy and those of individual exporters.
In a related development, the President, Chartered Institute of Exports And Commodities Brokers of Nigeria (CIECOBON), Dr Ayobami Omotoso, has urged Nigerians to explore the export business to complement Federal Government’s effort at reducing unemployment and to earn foreign exchange.
Omotoso made the plea during the 2019 Investiture, Induction and Award Ceremony of CIECOBON in Lagos on Thursday.
According to him, in 2017 Nigeria embarked on yam export to the U.S. and United Kingdom which gave Nigerians the opportunity to earn foreign exchange.
Omotoso said that the market was now open to intending exporters, saying that the success of Nigeria in the past was achieved through export and Cooperative formation and self-discipline of the leaders.
“I use this medium to thank President Buhari for providing loans to farmers and all allied businesses known today as Agriculture-Small Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS), through the Central Bank of Nigeria and Bankers’ Commiittee initiative.
“Early this year Federal Government also budget another N500 billion for poduction of cash crops, such as cocoa, palm oil, cashew nut etc.
“Many people have started accessing the loan to improve their business. This has given employment to many Nigerians that are interested in farming and small scale industries,” Omotoso said.
He advocated the establishment of an interchange point to be known as Nigerian Commodities Interchange Centre (NCIC).
Mr Bukola Lawal, a former Director General, Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS), urged Nigerians to promote exports in order to make Nigerian economy strong and balanced.
Lawal attributed Nigeria’s challenges to the fact that majority of people had not actually recognise the export sector.
“As at today, we focus more on import practice than export.
“The institute will improve the number of exporters with the new executives being put in place to ensure that Nigerians are well trained to avoid rejection of export produces,” Lawal said.
Mrs Moronke Thomas, Deputy Director, Head of Planning Reaseach of the Nigerian Maritime Administartion and Safety Agency (NIMASA), reiterated the agency’s interest in exporting of commodities from Nigeria.
Thomas said that NIMASA had established programmes such as Exporters’ Export Gate, Cargo Support initiative which it would champion.
“We want to encourage exportation of commodities at minimum charges because it costs more to import than to export.
“We identify with this great institution and NIMASA will try and make things easy for the exporters,” Thomas said.
The Customs Area Controller (CAC), Murtala Muhammed Airport Customs Command, Comptroller Jayne Soboiki, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Retired Col. Hameed Ali, said that Nigeria was an import- dependent nation.
Soboiki urged Nigerians to tap all the advantages in the export business by complying with the rules guiding exportation of commodities to avoid seizure of their crops.
She said that Customs was saddled with the responsibility to generate revenue and to facilitate legitimate trade as well as encourage export of commodities.
Soboiki urged the newly-elected president to ensure that members understood how commodities are exported, saying that Customs was key to facilitation of trade with high level of complaints.
The Techinal Assistant to the Director-General of National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mrs Simidele Onabajo, urged exporters to ensure the exported products were certified through the right procedures.
Onabajo said that if all the procedures were not followed, exporter stood the risk of losing their money and forfeiting their commodities.
