NPA wants UK to stop discriminatory policy on Nigeria exports
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has urged the United Kingdom to end the discriminatory policies on exports from Nigeria. Owing to the discriminatory policie, some exporters from Nigeria are forced to seek help from neighbouring West Africa countries such as Ghana and Togo, in order for their goods to be acceptable in the UK.
But concerned by this move, the Managing Director of NPA, Mr Mohammed Bello- Koko, urged the British government to address the negative labelling and rejection of exports from Nigeria.
Bello-koko said such labelling is borne out of a preconceived hostile perception of Nigeria which made them not to see the quality of the exports.
The NPA helmsman made this call while playing host to the UK Minister for Export, Mr Mike Freer MP.
Mr. Freer was in Nigeria last week on trade facilitation and during which he visited the Lagos Port Complex (LPC).
Bello-koko was represented by the Executive Director- Operations, Hon. Onari Brown.
He said that Nigeria expects commitment to the tenets of trade facilitation and so reports of goods being rejected because of their Nigerian origin is unpleasant.
He explained that the Nigerian government is on an export drive and has recently licensed 10 export terminals for swift transactions.
“We handle imports and exports. Now we are diversifying our economy from oil and we are glad to receive you at this time when we are looking in that direction. As partners in progress, we expect a lot from you. We are open to knowing areas we are supposed to improve upon to improve our export drive.
“We have made some strides in the area of exports, we just licensed about 10 export terminals, a kind of one-stop centre where all documentations from relevant agencies take place and the consignment is good to go,” he said.
Also speaking, the Port Manager, Mrs Olufunmilayo Olotu stated that NPA has mapped out a portion of the Lilypond Transit Park as an Export Consolidation Bay for the port and provided structures and systems to shorten trade process that will ensure goods arrive their ports of destination in the best shape.
“The visit is quite timely. We already have in place structures and systems for goods leaving Nigeria to arrive other places in topmost conditions but like my MD highlighted in his speech, we are beginning to have situations where our exporters need to remove our national brand and identity as Nigerians to take on the identity of a fellow West African country for our goods to be accepted in the UK,” she added.
Responding, Freer explained that his takeaway from the visit is the renewed drive by NPA to modernize and ensure that the ports in Nigeria are amongst the best in the world, in the global economy.
He also urged NPA to invest more on modernisation both for the customer and also to ensure revenue protection is captured, noting that this is absolutely crucial for the nation’s economy.
“The UK will do all we can to assist the government meet their objectives,” he noted.
He described the port as a thriving one stating that “across the globe basically in all the ports, the real pressure points are getting container ships in, getting them offloaded, getting them out and I think the government drive at digitalisation will make sure that Nigerian ports really are world leaders at getting goods in and out as fast as possible but also speaking as a government minister, making sure to capture the right revenue that the government is entitled to.”