Business
Cross Border Trade, Key To Economic Recovery – Association
The President, National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), Mr Ken Ukaoha, says cross border trade is key to economic recovery and revenue generation.
He said this in Abuja on Monday during a policy dialogue on combating corruption along Nigeria-ECOWAS trade routes.
Ukaoha, who said corruption along trade routes must be addressed, added that “unnecessary trade barriers created by non-transparent, burdensome rules and procedures which in turn constitute vulnerabilities, breed corrupt behaviours.
“Similarly, unnecessary delays in movement of goods continue to increase the burden of losses to operators, consumers, as well as diminish revenue to government coffers while increasing the cost of doing business.”
According to him, the aim of the dialogue is to strengthen integrity of border controls, customs administration and to strike a balance between security of lives and property and free movement of goods.
He said the dialogue would proffer practical recommendations toward facilitating free trade and to reduce corrupt practices.
Ukaoha added that traders, clearing agents and transporters on their part were not honest in their practice.
He explained that over-invoicing, under-declaration of goods, false declaration, illegal importation, trade vices such as smuggling, trafficking either in human or small arms, as well as drug peddling were perpetuated daily along trade routes.
Ukaoha said “sometimes, the actors lure government agencies into unholy collaboration that tend to swindle government of potential or impending revenue.
“Some goods categorised as arms are sometimes allowed in with the collaboration of officials and the country continues to bleed with insecurity, among other negative vices.
According to him, there is need to examine the practice of every actor in order to send appropriate messages to appropriate quarters.
The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr Ekpo Nta, said, aside from poor infrastructure and corruption, abuse of procedure was often identified as most formidable cog in the nation’s desire to maximise benefits from trade.
Nta, represented by Deputy Director, Corruption Monitoring and Eradication department in the commission, Mr Akeem Lawal, complained about corrupt practices such as extortion, bribery, intimidation and harassment by trade and product regulators and enforcement officials across the land, sea and air borders.
He said “Federal Government and relevant agencies are aware of the importance of smooth trade facilitation that contributes to job creation and economic wellbeing of the people.
“This informed the commission to conduct Corruption Risk Assessment exercises in Nigerian seaports of Apapa, Tincan Island, Warri, Onne and Calabar.
“Others are international airports at Lagos and Abuja, with the objective of assessing the nature of corrupt practices among officials and operational practices and procedures that dispose them to corruption.”
Nta emphasised that traders and businessmen must understand that they also had
critical roles to play to promote right conditions for corruption-free trade.
He said traders must obey regulations and practices that concerned exports and imports, pay appropriate charges and duties, obtain and provide required documentation.
The ICPC boss added that traders must avoid dealing in contrabands and controlled items and also have the responsibility to report demand and solicitation for bribe to appropriate agencies.
“It is when traders play by the rules that they have equity on their side.
“The haste to clear goods should not make them deviate from patriotic roles to sanitise the nation’s economic and trade environment.”
The Head of Unit, Trade Policy and Facilitation of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Mr Alexander Werth, also stressed the need for Federal Government to work toward reducing trade route corruption.
He advised traders to report any corruption that occurred as they export or import goods, adding that traders should also have all the required documents to avoid any form of corrupt practices.
“The traders must have the relevant documents so that security agencies will not use it against them,’’ he said
Werth, of the German service provider GIZ, called for sensitisation and change of attitude from traders and security agencies.
The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) says it has registered 160 Port stakeholders into its Regulated Port Service Provider and Users platform since the initiative began in 2023.
Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Pius Akutah, made the disclosure on the sideline of a sensitisation programme by the commission for port operators in Lagos, with the theme, “Regulated Port Service Provider and Users”.
Represented by the Director, Consumer Affairs, Chief Cajetan Agu, Akutah emphasised the significance of the programme for stakeholders.
He said the sensitisation programme was the second edition after its commencement during the last quarter of 2023.
The Secretary said the 160 registered port operators consist of agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, individual port users as well as service providers.
“We invited the ports stakeholders for enlightening them on the processes for online registration of Regulated Port Service Provider and Users.
“We have demonstrated to them how to register and how to make payment and we were able to present before them the various categories of the registration.
“The rate of payment is also in the registration. The payment of each group depends on the operation. A shipper pays N30,000, terminal operators and shipping companies pay N300,000, truckers also pay N30,000, while some pay N50,000 and N100,000.
“The Council was able to intimate them on the benefits, because port users benefit more as we help to interface on reducing port charges from time to time”, Akutah said.
He said that there was a need to continue to work with port operators to stop delays and eliminate high costs to make the port efficient.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Stakeholders, Service, NSC, Mr Celestine Akujobi, said “the sensitisation exercise was important for the council to enable us bring all the port stakeholders together”.
According to him, this is to avoid challenges during the implementation of the council’s responsibilities.
“By the time we introduce sanctions on defaulters, no operators will complain that he or she is not aware of the registration.
“I’m happy with the turnout of this sensitisation. This shows that the operators are well informed of the statutory friction of the council as the port regulator.
“The final implementation will commence as soon as we discover that all the operators have keyed into the portal.
“We are engaging other ports across the country and we’re hopeful that before the last quater of 2024, the council will implement sanctions on defaulting operators”, Akujobi said.
Earlier, Vice Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF), Dr Ifeanyi Emoh, said port challenges were enormous, adding that they originated from some of the government agencies.
Emoh urged the council to look into regulating other government agencies, so that there could be a window through which they can collect port charges collectively instead of indiscriminately.
By: Chinedu Wosu
Chivita| Hollandia (CHI Limited) leading fruit juice and value-added dairy manufacturer in Nigeria has rewarded its long standing distributors at the recently held 2024 Distributor Conference. The event with the theme, “Break Boundaries Exceed Expectations” served as a platform to recognise and reward the exceptional contribution of the distributors and wholesalers who play a critical role in Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) success and business goals for the year.
The Distributor Conference was held in two sessions. While the morning session featured keynote addresses, industry insights and brand immersion experience, the evening session was a cultural display of elegance and funfair that culminated in the award presentation and recognition of the contribution the trade partners made to the company in the 2023 year under review.
A key highlight of the event was the award ceremony which acknowledged outstanding trade partners in various regions across the country. The awards recognized commitment, dedication, and outstanding performance in areas of sales growth, brand promotion, and market expansion.
Eelco Weber, Managing Director, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), stated that the company’s success story is incomplete without the strong partnerships it has built with trade partners. “Today, we celebrate not only the achievements, but the collaborative spirit that has made our growth possible” he said.
Bola Arotiowa, Chief Commercial Officer, Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), in his statement revealed that, the event which was first of its kind will continue to be an annual meeting to enable the company work more closely with its distributors, share insights and action points, help the trade partners familiarize themselves with the company’s goals and objectives for each year, and serve as a driver for mutual success.
“Our distributors are the backbone of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited). Their relentless efforts in distributing our products, promoting our brands, and expanding our reach across the nation is truly commendable. As the bridge between us and our valued consumers, it is very important to reward their hard work and dedication for being an essential part of the Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) family. Together, we will continue to deliver great products to our conusmers which in turn will deliver value to them”, Mr. Arotiowa added.
Speaking at the conference, HajiyaBilikisuSaida, Chief Executive Officer of Smabirm Nigeria Limited, who won the Outstanding Distributor of the Year in North 1 region, and got a reward of two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) products expressed delight at the company’s recognition, and stated that the awards served as a way to inspire distributors to do more and put in more effort, which in turn would help both the distributors and the company to grow.
Other outstanding performance distributors of the year rewarded with a two million Naira worth of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) stock include, Sunny Chuks Limited for East 1 region, MRS FA & Sons Limited for East 2 region, Hussakas Ventures for North 2 region, Rookee 1388 Ventures for Lagos 1 region, Pik N Pil Ventures for Lagos 2 region, FaithJoe Event Management Limited for West 1 region, and Progress Family Nigeria Enterprise for West 2 region.
The annual Distributors Conference aims to strengthen the bond between Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited) and its trade partners. This collaborative approach fosters mutual growth and ensures the continued success of the brands in the Nigerian market.
A global leader in insurance and asset management, AXA Mansard, has supported three female-owned MSMEs with business grants totaling 1.4 million to boost their operations.
This, the company said, is part of its commitment to women and the Medium, Small, and Medium-scale Enterprise (MSME) sector in the country.
The three businesses were successful at the International Women’s Day Pitch Competition, organised in partnership with SME 100 Africa in Lagos.
According to the Head of Marketing, AXA Mansard, Olusesan Ogunyooye, the competition, which is aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, “is another way AXA is demonstrating its commitment to the causes of women and stimulating the MSME sector in Nigeria”.
The business pitch competition received numerous entries from women across different sectors, but after a rigorous selection process, shortlisted participants were selected to participate in the competition.
Ogunyooye said “the programme provided a unique opportunity for women from various works and socio-economic classes to showcase their innovative ideas and solutions in sectors such as food, tech, fashion, and fragrance, creating an atmosphere filled with excitement, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of community”.
He stressed the importance of investing in women, saying it is not just the right thing to do, but also aligns with AXA’s purpose of acting for human progress.
He explained that AXA believes the future of women should not be at risk, hence investing in their economic empowerment is a crucial part
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