The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has solicited partnership with the Edo Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives to engender active participation of entrepreneurs in the state in international trade.
The new Zonal Head, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, South-South Zone, Mr Glory Onojedo, made the appeal during a familiarisation visit to the Edo Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Mrs Afishetu Braimoh, in Benin on Thursday.
Onojedo expained that the state had lots of agricultural potential as well as manufactured products that could be harnessed for export purposes.
“We want to organise seminars and enlightenment programmes for businesses on how they can penetrate the outside market.
“Our mandate is to protect the interest of Nigerian Shippers’ as well as facilitate international trade in the country.
“We want to also capitalise on the huge vehicular movement in and out of the state to boost businesses.
In her remarks, Braimoh said the state government was ready to partner the council to make export processes easy for exporters in the state.
“We are already working with Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to bring more investment to the state.
“We are putting infrastructure in place to boost their businesses and we plan to have regular town hall meetings for SMEs owners”.
She, however, said that too many regulations in the export trade, as well as high cost of shipping, were the bane on international trade.
In a related development, Onojedo paid a familiarisation visit to the Edo Commissioner for Physical Planning, Urban and Regional Development, Mrs Isoken Omo.
He told the commissioner that the visit was to strengthen ties as well as seek support in the actualisation of the Atlantique Marine and Engineering Services (AMES)-Edo Inland Dry Port project and the Vehicle Transit Areas.
“We are here to appeal that the roads and all other physical development that need to make the AMES-Edo Inland Dry Port functional should be put in place”.
In her response, the commissioner said the state government was reviewing its Town planning Master Plan and assured that the road leading to the AMES- Edo Inland Dry Port world be incorporated into it.
Omo, represented by Mrs Kate Isokpunwu, Director of Vetting in the ministry, said the state government was working to ensure that all titled government land and building are secured. nan.
