Nigeria Records Increasing Export Trade Since 2015 - SAHCOL

Abiola Seun I

The Acting Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), Mr. Basil Agboarumi said export business has witnessed a huge improvement since 2015 when President Muhammed Buhari administration introduced its export promotion policies.

Agboarumi made this known during an interactive session with Journalists in Lagos.

Speaking at the Gateway Forum held at the Engr. Saleh Dunoma Press Centre, League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) secretariat, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Agboarumi said more Nigerian businessmen are now looking inwards for what they could export to other countries of the world. He noted that export has recorded significant growth since 2015.

“The export promotion policy is a good one. Before now, you would have understood that what happened in Nigeria was that the country was just an import dependent country.

“I think at a particular point in time, not only in aviation, but in the maritime sector, that export was totally dead. Other countries just produced and poured into Nigeria. I think for the first time in Nigeria, the administration under President Muhammadu Buhari, we have seen growth in export; possibly because of the policy that have been put in place by the government.

“Nigerians are beginning to look inward and see what the country can also give out to other countries of the world. It is no longer news that Nigeria is a blessed country; we have so much raw materials in this country that other countries of the world need, but the problem has always been, possibly because of what happened to us in the past, we were interested in what we could gain from outside without looking inward at what we have here and can give to the outside world.

“But I can tell you sincerely, export has actually grown from 2015 up till now,” the Acting Managing Director said.

He noted that the major products enjoying huge exports from the country included yams, vegetables, palm oil, spare parts, ladies hair attachments.

“At the moment yam is one of the major products for export; we have vegetable and it would surprise you to know that because people want their products to move faster, they prefer using this gateway to other gateway corridors. It would also surprise you to know that things like spare parts are exported to other West African countries from here. There are also people exporting palm oil in well packaged containers,” he disclosed.