The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) is to collaborate with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to boost export volume and stop empty containers from leaving Nigeria.
A statement issued on Thursday explained that the Executive Secretary of NSC, Mr Hassan Bello and the Executive Director of NEPC, Olusegun Awolowo agreed on the partnership during Bello’s visit to NEPC in Abuja.
Bello said it was important for Nigeria to drive its export volume to ensure the future of the nation’s economy, especially with the crisis in the oil economy.
He said, “Out of 10 containers that come into Nigeria laden, only two or three are taken out with exports. We can do more; we can do even 12.”
According to him, the NSC is cutting export charges to the barest minimum, as a way of facilitating export in the country.
He said that the digitisation of the ports and the enhancement of multi-modal transportation access to the ports had also commenced.
“Once these happen, the port’s efficiency will improve and the dwell time for cargo will reduce to six days maximum.
“We have to incentivise the exporters. We need to bring the incentives in a total package. Even our terminals are not export friendly.
“The cost of export is higher than that of our competitors,” he said, adding that the government must be conscious of this.
“Nigeria has no option but to look at exports. The volatility, uncertainty and unpredictability of oil has been exposed.
“We have learnt our lessons, and if we didn’t go back to producing rice locally, when the pandemic came, China and Thailand were no longer shipping rice to us, so we would not have had rice.
“We have 63 products with which we may have competitive edge for export,” Bello stated.
Awolowo, on his part, said his agency had identified 22 export commodities that could help the country reverse the ugly trend of containers going back empty from Nigeria.
He said Nigeria must refocus the economy to the point where it will not need oil to survive.
According to him, the message is sinking in, because the presidency is also responding in that direction.
He indicated the interest of his agency to key into inland container depots across the country to drive exports, starting with the Kaduna dry port.
