Time For Nigeria To Broaden Export Products Beyond Oil - Ambode

...Says Export Inflow At LFZ To Hit $6Billion By 2020

…Advocates 25-Year National Policy On Export Promotion



Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday said the export inflow at the Lekki Free Zone (LFZ) in Ibeju Lekki area of the State is projected to hit over $6billion (about N2.159trillion) by 2020, saying it was time for Nigeria to develop sustainable roadmap to rev up export with particular focus on multi-sector products far beyond oil.

Speaking at the 2nd National Committee Meeting on Export Promotion of the National Economic Council (NEC) held in Lagos, Governor Ambode said beyond oil, it was now important for the country to put in place infrastructure and other initiatives to support other sectors with the view to preparing them for export.   



He said already, the Lagos State Government had keyed into several export-oriented initiatives such as One-State One-Product Initiative, adding that it was gratifying to note that tremendous progress had been made in that regard.



“Our efforts in this area include the development of Lekki Free Zone as a one-stop export processing zone and we are happy to report that we have made tremendous progress in this particular export zone and I hope participants would have the time to see what it is that is actually going on in that place.



“Just to give you a clearer picture of what we are saying. At the end of 2020 when the investment of the Dangote Industries and other Deep Seaport that we are putting in that place will fully come on stream, the export inflow that we are projecting for that place is over $6billion and that is just the way to go,” Governor Ambode said.



He said through the export initiatives being spearheaded and monitored by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), the State Government had identified and commenced the process of developing three key commodities in which the State has comparative and competitive advantage including Coconut, Fish and Vegetables.



“We plan to facilitate the development of these commodities into exportable products. Our export promotion initiatives also include export aggregators designed to boost production capacities of our indigenous micro small and medium industries. The objective is to create locally made products and services that not only satisfy local market but meet competitive export demand.



“We have also developed enterprise zone, small scale industrial estate and light industrial parks in different parts of this State to provide business accommodation and also factory spaces, support made-in-Lagos campaign and to also enhance market access for our MSMEs,” the Governor said.



He said the initiatives were some of the programmes of the State Government to support the Zero Oil plan of the Federal Government, just as he urged participants at the meeting to come up with a viable and sustainable agenda that would at the end of the day help in achieving Nigeria’s economic rebirth without reliance on oil.



While alluding to the visit of French President, Mr Emmanuel Macron to Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, the Governor said the development signposts the need for the country to develop other sectors of the economy especially the creative industry, among others.



“For me, the visit is clear that Afrobeat is a product that we can export but not only that, what about other things such as intellectual property and others that we need to harness to create a final product of our export policy. What about fashion? What about arts? There are lots of export products that we can export beyond Agriculture.



“However, before we can do that, we must put in place the infrastructure and the framework to support these industries and that is the core of this whole story. The message here is that let us expand the scope of our export considerations and increase the wealth of our nation.



“If one of the most powerful men in the world is a lover of our music and culture, then we must look inwards and find ways to export this. Our State is big on arts and entertainment and we believe strongly that this is a very lucrative avenue to create wealth and employment for our people,” Governor Ambode said.



According to the Governor, the economic indicators of the country were such that reliance on oil without planning for the future was dangerous, and so something urgent must be done to promote other sectors.



“For all the years, if you say oil is 90 per cent of what our economy is all about, if there is a flip in the price of oil, what happens to 190 million people on just one product? Who does that? So, the idea is this, if in 2050, Nigeria is targeted to be the third largest country in the world with 400million people and then maybe Lagos population by then will be about 50million people, then there is going to be a problem if by now we are not thinking about other products.



“And then, who cares about oil anyway when there are people using vehicles without oil and so something must be wrong if we are not thinking 2050 in 2018. We have been speaking about this and it is almost sounding like a broken record but if something goes wrong with oil, what are we doing,” he queried.



The Governor said though the Federal Government had shown leadership and good examples about rice production, but that it was important to come up with a national policy on export to create a roadmap to engender sustainable promotion of export.



“Beyond agric product and others, this is one singular opportunity for us to create a roadmap of an export policy that will be known as the National Policy on Export for the next 25 years which each State will key into and follow. The whole message is that we need to be broader in our approach. I believe strongly that the export policy strategy is another way to put Nigeria on the global map and that is the only way we can continue to bring ourselves together to promote export,” he said.



Besides, Governor Ambode advocated synergy among all the Federal Government agencies and State Governments to promote export, while also calling on Nigeria to immediately ratify the agreement on African Continental Free Trade Area which had already been signed by 49 out of 55 countries, adding: “Nigeria must show leadership because the whole of Africa is waiting for us to show leadership and we must drive the economy of the continent.”



Earlier, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Mr Olusegun Awolowo called on State Governments to seriously consider bringing export products in their respective States for the Committee on Export Promotion to look at, saying such was important going forward.

Exclusive:Encourage MSMEs Through Low Interest Loans - Bountiful Charges

Popular Agege's golden daughter, Mrs. Busayo Taiwo Adelanwa a. k. a Bountiful is in the news. This time it's not about community works with Elephant Club of Ogba or philanthropic engagement with Rotary Club, rather, it is an exquisite exhibition of her prowess in the business and financial sector.

She stressed that it's obvious that capital is the opium of any business but MSMEs suffer a lot because of their inability to service humongous credit facilities often offered by financial institutions.

Mrs Adelanwa who is the Convener of Bountiful Foundation, a business consultant and social worker while responding to questions on a TV programme (AM Chat of MITV) themed: Doing successful business in an unpredictable economy like Nigeria, she said it's high time financial institutions began to encourage Small and Medium Scale Enterprises with little interest soft loans if the country truly wants to build a self reliant economy.

Bountiful Highighted some areas which young  entrepreneurs need to envision before dabbling into any venture. she said they need to identifying a need, study the need to understand it (through feasibility studies, business ideation, business concept development, business planning, skill acquisition, internship and apprenticeship, market analysis, industry analysis), then feed the need sustainably and excellently (i.e product or services).

"In case of capital challenges, seek support from friends, families and folks. When you exhaust your lower hanging fruits, seek partnership, equity investors, angel investors, loan, grant." She asserted.

The social worker advised prospective businessman to make contractual agreements they can achieve,  "all agreement must be  win-win and keep all contractual agreement intact."

Thereafter, Bountiful urged government to ensure creating an enabling environment for business to flourish saying that "Chinese or Lebanese investors come into Nigeria with only a brief case and cart away money in containers.The briefcase on arrival is a cheque of international loan at a very low interest rate with longer moratorium yet he gets tax holidays here which indigenous investors may not get."

Egunjobi, Babatunde Reiterate Commitment Towards Poverty Alleviation for Women, Youths

AgegePulse Magazine

Wives of the Chairmen of Agege Local Government and Orile Agege Local Council Development Area, Mrs. Ramat Egunjobi and Mrs. Mojisola Babatunde JP have reiterated commitment towards making lives of youths and women better in the twin councils through the introduction of potent empowerment initiatives.

This commitment was unequivocally expressed at the meeting of Wives of Lagos State Council Chairmen Forum yesterday held in Agege LGA, Lagos.

In separate remarks, the councils' first ladies told the gathering that they are working endlessly to give women and youths everlasting means of survival that would prevent them from being vulnerable to social vices.

Mrs Ramat Egunjobi urged the council members to support their husbands in actualization of the vision of all inclusive government of Lagos State by embarking on empowerment projects that would create Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs and enhance standard of living of people (especially women and youth) in their locality.

On her part, Mrs. Mojisola Babatunde reeled out plans to partner council Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) in ensuring youth and women in particular feel the dividends of democracy at the grassroot level.

They both thanked and appreciated Head of Administration of both councils, Chief Mrs. Mayowa Abeke Ikuforiji and Mr. Muiz Azeez Adeola for their inestimable contributions towards the success of the meeting.

At the end, the meeting agreed that members should foster cordial relationship with WAPA office in their respective Councils for smooth executions of plans to alleviate poverty ravaging women under their jurisdiction.

Mrs Mosumola Sofola, President of the Council,  Mrs. Ogidan Vice President, Mrs. Basua, Secretary, Mrs. Abigeil Balogun, Treasurer and Mrs. Olufin, vice chairmen of Agege and Orile Agege, Prince Abiodun Ogunji and Alhaja Kafilat Akanni Pedro were among notable members present at the meeting.

Ambode presents certificates to 1,500 retrained Artisans, Traders

…Orders MDAs To Engage Informal Sector In Executing Govt Projects, Contracts

 ...Vows Continuous Implementation Of Policies To Advance Sector

Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday presented certificates to 1,500 artisans and traders in the State who were retrained on modular employability programme as part of efforts to scale up the informal sector with the view to making members meet up with current realities.

The beneficiaries drawn from various associations under the auspices of the Lagos State Council of Tradesmen and Artisans (LASCOTA), were solely trained by the State Government for enhanced productivity in a total of twenty-four trades including entrepreneurship, computer appreciation, writing business proposals, among others.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony and 8th Tradesmen and Artisans Day held at De Blue Roof, LTV 8 Compound in Ikeja, Governor Ambode said the role of artisans and traders in the pyramid of socio-economic development of the nation was very critical in achieving sustainable growth and overall prosperity of the people.

He said it was in recognition of such fact that his administration had shown commitment towards ensuring that the event was not only sustained eight years after, but also designed to be more rewarding.

Governor Ambode, who recalled various initiatives designed to scale up the informal sector such as the N25billion Employment Trust Fund (ETF), among others, assured traders and artisans in the State that government would continue to implement strategies and programmes to promote their businesses and create conducive environment for their operation.

He said: “Giving the strategic role of the informal sector in our economic development in this State, our administration has opened an online portal designed to facilitate interaction among artisans, customers/end-users and relevant stakeholders.

“It is our primary role to make it easy and convenient for people in need of high quality service to meet reliable, trusted and verifiable service providers. It is also aimed at enhancing the productivity, competitiveness, creativity and vitality of this sector.”

While expressing excitement with the fact that it was the tailors from the State that produced the academic gowns used for the graduation, the Governor said moving forward, the State Government would now start to officially engage traders and artisans on jobs that would improve their economy.

Speaking on specific requests made by LACOSTA, the Governor said: “As a start, we instruct the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment to see the capabilities and the opportunities that we can spread out from State jobs and contracts and give to our artisans.

“I am very happy to note that we have graduates among you and also graduates who are also your children. So, we hereby create an immediate opportunity through your associations to be able to recruit into key areas in the public service where we can need your services. These are not political promises, we keep our promises and we will fulfil all our promises,” Governor Ambode said.

While congratulating the artisans and traders for successfully undergoing the training, the Governor urged them to put all they have learnt to effective practice, and leverage on the endless opportunities of the strategic position of Lagos as one of the fastest growing economies in the world to be solution providers, just as he assured that the State Government would continue to provide and maintain the required infrastructure and conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

Besides, Governor Ambode launched a compendium of artisans in the State to boost the informal sector, and also inaugurated operational bus donated to LACOSTA by the State Government.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti said since the last edition of the event, Governor Ambode, as requested by LACOSTA, had already approved N12million annual subvention to the association and increased the number of beneficiaries in 2017 to 1500 from the 500 that were trained in 2016.

Also, LACOSTA President, Alhaji Nurudeen Buhari commended Governor Ambode for keeping his promise of scaling up the informal sector and prioritizing the interest of artisans and traders in the State. He said as promised by the Governor, many of their members have benefited from the ETF loan, among other fulfilled promises.