Nigeria to Establish Warehouses At the Border Towns of Maradi And Birnin Konni in Niger Republic
Nigeria is to unveil plans to establish warehouses at the border towns of Maradi and Birnin Konni in Niger Republic under the auspices of the Nigeria-Niger Joint Commission (NNJC).
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Joel Itah, the head of the Public Relations Unit of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in Abuja on Thursday
The statement quoted the NEPC Executive Director, Mr David Adulugba, as making the disclosure at the inauguration of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) on the Non-oil Export Products Warehouses.
Adulugba said the measure was to reduce informal exportation of Nigerian goods by some exporters and to formalize unrecorded trade activities in ECOWAS countries.
He said that the committee, apart from being in charge of the proposed warehouse in Niger Republic, would also manage the collection centers in the Nigerian towns of Jibia and Illela in Kastina and Sokoto states respectively.
He also listed other objectives for setting up the warehouses as the need to mitigate the cost of logistics associated with exporting within the sub-region.
Adulugba said the warehouses would assist in curbing the activities of smugglers along the border towns and serve as effective market entry strategy for Nigerian goods.
“The project has potential to generate income, employment and investment in the two countries when it eventually comes on stream, apart from assisting in formalizing unrecorded trade between our countries” he said.
The NEPC statement also quoted Mr Abubakar Abduljalil, the Secretary-General of NNJC, as stressing the need to engage a consultant to draw up a feasibility study and budget for the establishment of the warehouses.
The IMC comprises NEPC, NNJC, Conference of Northern Chambers of Commerce, Nigerian Customs Services, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, FACAN, Consul General of Niger Republic in Kano.
It also includes representatives of the states involved both in Nigeria and in Niger Republic and Ecobank, while NEPC would serve as the Secretariat.
The statement recalled that the NEPC had earlier spearheaded the establishment of similar structures known as NEXPOTRADE House in Lagos and its environs to provide warehousing facilities for Nigerian exporters on the West African coast.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
Category: Africa
