Importers, exporters seek Shippers’ Council collaboration on ECOWAS trade
Samson Echenim is business a.m. correspondent providing coverage for maritime, aviation, travels and hospitality. A former business correspondent at the Punch and Leadership newspapers, he has a vast experience in business reporting. Samson can be reached on samhapp2000@yahoo.com and +2348037363024
Importers and exporters under the aegis of West African Association of Cross Border Trade have called for collaboration with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in the area of trade facilitation amongst ECOWAS countries, as well as in cross border trade data expansion and compilation.
A delegation from the group led by Mohammed Abdullahi, president of the Nigerian chapter of West Africa Association of Cross Border Trade, Agro-forestry, Pastoral, Fisheries products and Food, visited the NSC headquarters recently, where it made the call for collaboration with the council. The delegation was received by Cajetan Agu, director, consumer affairs division.
A statement by Rakiya Zubairu, head, public relations of the council quoted the secretary of the association, Salami Nassiru, as saying the purpose of the visit was to “formalise trade in West Africa, minimise smuggling as well as promote the trading of ECOWAS products and generate statistics of commodities traded in the sub-region.”
Cajetan Agu who received the delegation on behalf of Hassan Bello, executive secretary of the NSC, assured them of council’s readiness to partner with the association, pointing out that “the proposed areas of collaboration were in line with the council’s mandate.”
“In line with this purpose, the two Border Information Centres at Seme-Krake border and Jibia-Maradi border were established by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to provide on-the-spot assistance like enlightenment and trade information to cross-border traders ,” he said.