Abuja:The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre (SEREC) has called for Nigeria’s free trade zones to be developed into production and export hubs to enhance the country’s role in the African market.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, SEREC highlighted this initiative in its policy bulletin titled ‘From Import Dependence to Production Power’, released by Eugene Nweke, the Head of Research. Nweke emphasized the importance of viewing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a means for industrialization and market expansion rather than just another trade agreement.
Nweke urged Nigerian businesses to shift their focus from domestic consumers to creating products that can compete across African markets. He stressed the need for entrepreneurs to concentrate on producing, assembling, processing, packaging, or branding goods in Nigeria for sale across Africa, rather than focusing on importing products cheaply.
He pointed out that free trade zones should not merely serve as locations for warehousing, tra
ding, transshipment, or import distribution. Instead, their value should be assessed based on manufacturing, value addition, technology transfer, employment, exports, foreign exchange generation, and local supply chain integration.
Nweke also called for a transformation in the freight-forwarding and customs-brokerage sectors to support manufacturing and export-led growth. He suggested that freight forwarders develop expertise in export documentation, AfCFTA procedures, rules of origin, and logistics.
Further, Nweke advocated for a coordinated national strategy linking various aspects such as industrial policy, AfCFTA, customs modernization, and export development. He encouraged the government to improve energy supply, industrial finance, product standards, and export infrastructure to better support businesses in accessing African markets.
Nweke concluded by urging stakeholders to transform Nigeria’s economic structure from consumption to production, from importing to assembling, and from trading to brandi
ng, to achieve export competitiveness.