By Emeka Anaeto, Business Editor
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in collaboration with the UK Department for Business and Trade, has started sensitizing Nigerian exporters on the opportunities in the United Kingdom, UK, market.
The two, yesterday in Lagos, hosted a large number of exporters and other stakeholders in a workshop on the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS),
Speaking at the workshop, Mrs Orji Gertrude, Director of Trade and Investment, who represented Ambassador Abba Nura Rimi, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, said Nigeria and UK have long enjoyed warm and mutual bilateral relations that had translated into several strategic frameworks, one of
which benefit today is the United Kingdom’s Developing Countries
Trade Scheme (DCTS).
She explained that DCTS, established in June, 2023, replaces the defunct UK’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences (GSP), and is designed to deepen trade relationships with developing countries by providing simplified and more generous trade preferences.
She stated: “This workshop is convened to create awareness and build the capacity of Nigerian exporters and business associations, on the benefits, requirements, and opportunities available under the UK DCTS.
“This initiative comes at a critical time when Nigeria is intensifying
efforts to diversify its export base beyond oil and strengthen its participation in global value chains. However, to fully harness these benefits, stakeholders must have a clear understanding of the rules of origin, documentation requirements, product standards, and trade facilitation measures under the scheme.
“Workshops such as this one are therefore essential for bridging information gaps, strengthening institutional coordination, and enhancing the competitiveness of Nigerian exports in the UK market.
“This Scheme offers duty-free and quota-free access to thousands of products from eligible countries. For Nigeria, this means expanded market access for key non-oil exports such as agricultural produce, textiles, leather, processed foods, and manufactured goods.”
Speaking to journalists on issues around market access for Nigerian products, Mujina Kaindama, UK Head of Trade Policy and Market Access for Nigeria, said “the British Standard Institute has a project in Nigeria where we work with Nigerian agencies like NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control), and other similar agencies, to get them to the stage where they can certify Nigerian exporters so that their certifications are recognized internationally.
“We sort of have an ecosystem of trade initiatives that are supportive to the DCTS’ aims in creating the right environment for Nigerian traders to be able to access UK markets. So in no small ways, I think we’re trying to make sure that the ecosystem around the DCTS is such that the scheme is not just a policy, but it’s something that people practically use as well”.
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