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Lack of infrastructural, production capacities may turn Nigeria into dumping ground under AfCFTA 

The Eyewitness Reporter 
The Vice President, Air and Logistics of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Segun Musa, has raised concerns about Nigeria’s unpreparedness for effective participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In a recent interview, Musa highlighted the country’s infrastructural deficiencies and lack of production capacity, warning that Nigeria risks becoming a dumping ground for goods from other African nations.
According to Musa, AfCFTA presents a significant opportunity to boost Nigeria’s economy, but the nation currently has little to offer in terms of trade. “We have opened AfCFTA for trade liberalization, but unfortunately, Nigeria has nothing to showcase. We are likely to be a dumping country because we have nothing to exchange,” he said.
Musa emphasized that sustainable production is critical for any country to benefit from AfCFTA.
However, he noted that Nigeria lacks key enablers such as stable energy supply, advanced technology, reliable infrastructure, and adequate security.
“Without these, our participation will be limited to the importation of goods from other African nations, as we have no competitive advantage to leverage in the continental market,” he lamented.
The NAGAFF Vice President called for urgent government intervention to boost local production and enhance Nigeria’s trade readiness.
“We need to begin to identify and support entrepreneurs in production, provide them with liquidity, and ensure their products meet certification standards for both local and export consumption,” Musa advised.
He added that regulatory bodies like the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) must play a more active role in promoting standardization and improving local manufacturing capacity.
Musa also criticized the implementation of AfCFTA in Nigeria, describing it as overly theoretical.
He expressed frustration with the lack of practical engagement by the government and stakeholders tasked with facilitating the agreement.
“Most of their activities are just talk shows and paper presentations. If the government is serious, they should focus on practical dialogue and strategies to achieve results,” he stated.
He further highlighted missed opportunities by committees overseeing AfCFTA implementation, accusing them of failing to engage relevant stakeholders effectively.
 “To date, there is no seriousness in their approach. We need to move beyond theories to actionable plans that involve all stakeholders,” Musa asserted.
While expressing hope that Nigeria could still benefit from the AfCFTA, Musa urged the government to prioritize local content development, capacity building, and export-readiness initiatives.
 “AfCFTA is a continuous market, and it is not too late for us to harness its benefits. However, this depends on the government’s interest in ensuring we have something tangible to offer,” he concluded.
The AfCFTA agreement, which came into effect in 2021, aims to create a single market for goods and services across Africa, fostering intra-continental trade and economic integration.
However, Nigeria’s ability to maximize the benefits of this ambitious project remains uncertain without significant structural reforms and a clear trade strategy.
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Customs

How NPA’ s ETO call- up system hampers seamless export processes at Lilypond Terminal — Customs

Funso OLOJO 
The Customs Area Controller of the Lilypond Export Command, Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya, has attributed the persistent delay in export cargo movement at the command to logistics issues associated with the Nigerian Port Authority’s Eto call-up system, rather than any bottlenecks from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Eto call- up system is a structured movement of container- laden trucks into the terminals meant to decongest Port access road and facilitate quick goods clearance at the port.
It was developed by the NPA and driven by a private company.
However, Comptroller Odusanya, speaking at a Roundtable with members of Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN),emphasized that while the command has streamlined the export process,  lack of available slots for trucks to enter the ports remains a major challenge.
 He noted that despite the command’s efforts, numerous containers remain stranded at Lilypond due to the inability of trucks to secure clearance under the Eto system.
He explained that prior to the implementation of a centralized export processing system, multiple customs units across Apapa, Tin Can, PTML, and Lekki ports handled export documentation.
However, in July 2024, the government directed the full centralization of all export processes under the Lilypond Export Command.
This move, driven by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and backed by agencies such as the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), was aimed at streamlining operations and reducing multiple checkpoints.
Odusanya revealed that between January and December 2024, the command processed exports valued at approximately $1.9 billion, a figure that could have been higher if the consolidation had occurred earlier in the year.
He added that in February 2025 alone, the command facilitated exports worth $225.1 million.
He attributed these successes to inter-agency collaboration, with Customs working alongside the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and quarantine services, among others.
Despite the improved export facilitation, Odusanya acknowledged that challenges persist, particularly with the Eto call-up system, which has created logistical constraints.
 He explained that export containers often get delayed at Lilypond not due to customs processes but because of congestion at the ports, caused by import containers awaiting clearance.
He pointed out that while Apapa remains the busiest port for exports, the congestion problem is less severe at Tin Can due to the presence of an export processing terminal.
On the issue of the Nigerian Export Proceeds (NXP) form, Odusanya stated that the command has ensured compliance with all regulatory requirements.
 He, however, acknowledged exporters’ concerns about the process and assured that Customs is working to facilitate seamless trade while ensuring adherence to financial regulations.
He urged maritime stakeholders, including the media, to continue sensitizing exporters on the ease of processing export goods through Lilypond, emphasizing that the command operates transparently and does not condone extortion.
He reiterated that officers at the entry points are strictly there to verify processed cargo and not to serve as an additional checkpoint.
Odusanya concluded by reaffirming the commitment of the Lilypond Export Command to supporting Nigeria’s growing export sector, ensuring efficiency in cargo movement, and addressing any emerging challenges in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
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Economy

Dangote group remits N402.3 billion tax to government coffers in 2024

Gloria Odion 
The Pan African Conglomerate, Dangote Industries Limited and its subsidiaries, have disclosed that it paid over N402 billion in taxes in 2024, making it the highest taxpayer in the country.
Dangote’s Chief Branding and Communication Officer, Anthony Chiejina, declared during a meeting with some senior media executives who visited him in his Lagos Office.
He said Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) and its subsidiaries, namely, Dangote Cement, NASCON, Dangote Packaging Limited among others, remitted a total of N402.319billion for the out-gone year as taxes as responsible business enterprises.
Recall that Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) had in late 2024 recognised  Dangote group and its subsidiary, Bluestar Shipping as the most tax compliant organizations in the country during its Special Day at the 2024 Lagos International Trade Fair organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
The Federal Inland Revenue Service is Nigeria’s agency responsible for assessing, collecting and accounting for tax and other revenues accruing to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Chiejina told his visitors that as a responsible business organisation, DIL and its subsidiaries have never shieded away from its obligations either to the government in the form of tax payment at all levels or to host communities in the form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
According to him, the Group’s corporate strategy has evolved just as its businesses have grown, matured and diversified into new sectors and regions over the last four decades.
He noted that Dangote Group has almost single-handedly taken Nigeria to self-sufficiency in cement and refined petroleum products and is expanding rapidly across Africa.
Dangote Group and its subsidiaries were recognised as number one most compliant in tax payment in the country, just as its subsidiary Dangote Cement, the country’s leading cement manufacturer, at another occasion won three awards at the FMDQ Gold Awards in Lagos as the most active business in the Foreign Exchange market.
Dangote Cement Plc was adjudged as the Largest Commercial Paper Quotation on FMDQ and Single Largest Corporate Debt Issue on FMDQ.
 Also, Dangote Industries Ltd also emerged as the “Most active corporate in the foreign exchange market”.
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Headlines

NIWA Chairman charges Oyebamiji to phase out wooden boats from Nigeria’s waterways

Funso OLOJO 
The newly appointed Chairman of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Hon.Musa Sarkin-Adar, has charged the management team of the Authority led by its Managing Director, Bola Oyebamiji, to phase out wooden boats from Nigeria’s waterways.
Musa Sarkin-Adar, who paid a
 familiarization visit to the management team of NIWA in its Abuja liaison office, in a bid to minimize boat mishaps on the waterways.
He believed it would be a lasting legacy for the present leadership of NIWA if accidents could be minimized on the Waterways.
The Chairman’s advice is however in alignment with the NIWA’ s resolve to stamp out wooden and rickety boats on waterways.
However, Musa Sarkin-Adar further encouraged the NIWA team to do more in connecting other states in the water transportation.
He emphasized on the need for the involvement of the private sector in the development of water transportation, as government cannot do it alone.
In his response, Oyebamiji expressed appreciation for the visit and encouraging words of the chairman and pledged the commitment of of NIWA management to make the nation’s waterways safe and secure.
Oyebamiji also commended the efforts of his management team in the development of the Inland Waterways
Transportation sub-sector.
According to him, he is blessed with an experienced and dedicated team which he cannot take the glory alone.
The Chairman’s visit was attended by all the management staff of the Authority.
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