Abuja: The World Trade Centre (WTC), Abuja, on Tuesday unveiled an export launch pad aimed at boosting Nigeria's competitiveness in global trade. The pad was unveiled by its Vice-President, Mr. Ahmed Adelaja, alongside the WTC Abuja Trade Desk shortly after its webinar. According to News Agency of Nigeria, the webinar was on 'Navigating Global Uncertainties and Breaking Barriers to Growth', part of its series on 'Nigeria's Trade Competitiveness'. Adelaja described the pad as WTC Abuja's flagship business accelerator, designed to empower Nigerian exporters, particularly small and medium-scale enterprises to compete successfully in international markets. He stated that the transformative initiatives were in response to the constraints limiting Nigeria's competitiveness in global trade, aligning with Nigeria's economic diversification agenda and the African Union 2063 Agenda, among other policies. Adelaja expressed confidence that the launch pad would address concerns such as product packaging, compliance with international standards, and access to logistics partners. The export launch pad is set to provide export-ready diagnostics, sector-specific market intelligence, packaging and compliance advisory, and access to logistics partners, trade finance, and verified international buyers. It aims to serve as a pipeline for African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) trade, ECOWAS regional integration, and global exports, focusing on agriculture, manufacturing, the creative economy, and services. Adelaja emphasized that the unveiling of the export pad seeks to ensure that no viable export idea in Nigeria fails due to a lack of knowledge, access, or support. In addition, the WTC Abuja Trade Desk will serve as a dedicated liaison and support hub for exporters, offering market entry assistance, regulatory support, documentation guidelines, policy issue escalation, and business matchmaking through the global WTC network. Prof. Jonathan Aremu, a keynote speaker and professor of International Economics Relations, highlig hted the challenges to Nigeria's trade competitiveness, including global uncertainties and domestic barriers such as weak oil prices and infrastructure deficits. He advocated for a multi-faceted approach from both the public and private sectors to navigate these challenges and enhance trade competitiveness. Mr. Kevin Oye, the President of the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), noted the private sector's vital role in export competitiveness. Represented by Mahmud Ahmed, Director of the Abuja Liaison Office, Oye suggested that competitiveness could be achieved through product and process innovation, strengthening production infrastructure, supply chains, and promoting global marketing.
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