Chidiebele Obika | I-Witness News
Traders have been urged to key into the benefits of African Continent Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to export more products from Nigeria to other African countries and earn forex.
Professor Ngozi Eunice Egbuna, the Director of the International Center for Regional Integration and Trade Research (ICRITR), a directorate in the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka gave the charge during a one-day training workshop organized by the centre in collaboration with the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA) held at ASMATA headquarters in Onitsha, on Sunday, December 1, 2024.
The ICRITR Director, Egbuna informed the traders and entrepreneurs that inter countries trade in Africa was about 10% as against over 70% in European countries and other continents and buttressed that the main aim of AfCFTA was to increase volume of trade among African Countries.
She informed that registration with relevant government bodies and organizations, product’s proper laboratory certifications, branding and others were necessary steps in formalizing the informal export trade through AfCFTA.
Prof. Egbuna further informed the participants that the UNIZIK ICRITR centre was ready to accept students for short courses like ordinary diploma in Trade Policy and Economic Integration, Trade Negotiation For Business and Merchants; Diploma in Regional Integration and Trade Policy, PGD and MSc.; where they would be trained and issued with certificates that would help them in their export business.
The state cordinator of Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Anambra State Office, Mr Peter Udom while enaging the traders informed them that with only N13500, one can register with the NEPC and be qualified to export products and access incentives for export businesses provided by the council.
He informed that items such as crude oil, unprocessed rubber, metal scraps and others cannot be exported by individuals and organizations in Nigeria and urged the traders to tap into the incentives provided by the council and get foreign exchange.
In his vote of thanks, the President General of ASMATA, Chief Humphrey Anuna thanked the organizers of the workshop for opening their eyes to the numerous benefits and rudiments of export business.
He pointed out that many traders and entrepreneurs wanted to export their goods outside Nigeria but do not know how to go about it but expressed happiness that the organizers have given them clues on the subject matter.
Chief Anuna appealed to NEPC and ICRITR to make the workshop a quarterly affair which according to him would help traders know more and ask questions where necessary on the issues of exportation of goods in the country.
Mrs Jossy Eboh, Director Trade in the Anambra State Ministry of Trade and Industry and Dr Tonia Anyamene, the Anambra State Export Desk officer while commending ASMATA for bringing their people for the training appreciated ICRITR and NEPC for packaging wonderful lectures for the participants.
They informed that the government of Professor Chukwuma Chukwuma offers loan facilities to register exporters and urged the traders to access the facility for their business expansion.
The Director of Unizik linkages who was part of the ICRITR Centre Team and Professor of Energy Economics, Prof. Uche Nwaogwugwu, Deputy Director of ICRITR, Associate Prof. Uche Ekwugha anchored the program, NEPC Product Promotion head, Mrs Ndidi Nwankwo, Kolanut exporter, Mrs Ossai, palm oil processor, Pastor Ugochukwu Anakor among others participated in the training.
