Taiwo Hassan 
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has promised that the regulatory and bureaucratic challenges bedevilling exporters will be systemically addressed to boost non-oil revenue base in the country.
The Minster, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, made the remark during a ministerial export consultation in Lagos recently, where she applauded the top 100 exporters who had contributed to the growth of the economy.
Oduwole emphasised the importance of exports in driving economic growth, creating jobs and enhancing foreign exchange earnings and called for collaboration amongst the agencies and exporters to make the economy work.
“Please encourage the Nigerian economy. The reforms may have been tough, but we’re already turning the corner. So let’s all continue together we can make this economy work,’ the minister said.
She encouraged exporters to take advantage of Nigeria’s economic potential and pledged the government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for export growth.
She said: “We’re determined to make sure that the regulatory and bureaucratic challenges,which are well known to us coming from a public background, are systemically addressed.
“I’m here to support all the agencies under the Federal Ministry of Energy, Trade and Investment here present and the Nigerian exporters.”
She noted that the ministry’s support was not only for Nigerian exporters of goods and commodities, “we’re also supporting Nigerian exporters of services, which is one of the lowest hanging fruits, for giving Nigerian youth the opportunity to earn foreign exchange while living in Nigeria by exporting their services.
“They’re talented in areas of digital trade. Nigeria is going to be a leading, dominating force in that regard. “There’s a lot of work ahead, no doubt, but the President is committed to this.
“We’re also going to establish and reinvigorate our Commodities Exchange. There’s a lot that we have geared up for Nigeria. “Suffice to say that it will take everybody’s commitment. You’ve seen that the GDP is moving in the right direction.
“Please encourage the Nigerian economy. The reforms may have been tough, but we’re already turning the corner. So let’s all continue together we can make this economy work.”
“So for collaboration amongst the agencies, you heard a number of both the exporters allude to the fact that I’ve been working on the private reforms for nearly a decade now.
“The challenges, the silos, the miscommunication, the overlapping,different agencies competing amongst each other, overlapping duties that make things cost more for private sector.
“It’s nothing new to me, which is why I didn’t come here alone, which is why I didn’t have this consultation just in my office.”
