An international trade expert, Dr John Isemede, has called on the Federal Government to organise trade fairs exclusively for Made-in-Nigeria products to promote exports and reduce the country’s dependence on imports.
Isemede, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), made the call while speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
According to him, Nigeria should deliberately organise Made-in-Nigeria trade fairs to showcase local products to the global market and position the country as a serious exporting nation.
The trade expert, with over 40 years’ experience in export trade, said Nigeria’s participation in trade fairs and trade missions had largely focused on attendance numbers and contacts made rather than actual export outcomes.
“The only way to measure trade performance is by what is sold and exported, not how many people attend trade fairs,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria remained largely an import-driven economy in spite of being the world’s largest producer of commodities such as yam and cassava.
“Why are we the largest producer of cassava in the world and still importing starch. Why are we number one in yam production without significant exports?
“Trade fairs should serve as platforms for selling Nigerian products, attracting buyers and converting engagements into export contracts,” he said.
Isemede noted that meaningful trade promotion required coordination between government agencies, the private sector and export professionals.
The former NACCIMA boss also called for incentives to support local production, adding that discouraging imports could only be achieved by making domestic production competitive.
According to him, countries that have successfully industrialised did so by prioritising local production and linking education, agriculture, and industry.
