FG moves to tackle export product rejection

The federal government, through the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment, has inaugurated a technical committee to verify and recommend practicable solutions to tackle the persistent practice of rejection of products exported overseas.

Chairman of the technical committee on export reject and the director, commodity and export department of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Suleiman Adedayo Audu, at the inauguration of the committee in Abuja, yesterday, said the terms of reference (ToR) of the committee is to identify challenges and proffer solutions.

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Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Dr. Ezra Yakusak, said the committee has a 5-week mandate to identify gaps and proffer solutions.

He noted that in an effort to reduce the cases of rejects, the NEPC initiated the “Go Global, Go Certification” project. 

He explained that “The project is geared towards obtaining appropriate international certifications for products of Nigerian origin. 

“So far, about 50 SMEs have benefited from this programme. We recently obtained approval of the honourable minister to ensure certification of more exporters,” he stated. 

In another development, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the Nigerian-Arabian Gulf Chamber of Commerce have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Abuja to establish export trade house in Dubai and the Gulf countries targeted at improving Nigerian products in the region.

Speaking on the MOU, the NEPC boss, Dr. Yakusak, explained that it will serve as a launching pad for Nigerian products in a bid to penetrate the Middle East market.