By Perpetual Anozie
The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Anambra State Coordinating Office, has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing export activities in Nigeria through strategic partnerships with key stakeholders in Anambra State. This was emphasized during the Quarterly Meeting of the State Committee on Export Promotion (SCEP) held at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce; Permanent Secretary’s office, State Secretariat Complex, Aroma, Awka.
The meeting, chaired by the new Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Engr. Michael Obiekwe brought together major stakeholders in the export value chain including the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Faculty of Agriculture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Anambra State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, cooperatives, and other relevant participants.
The highlights were on the creation of a Common Facility Centre, designed as a One-Stop Shop, to bring together all relevant regulatory and support agencies, such as NAFDAC, SON, NEPC, RMRDC, representatives of different Cooperatives and others, under a single operational framework. This centre will simplify and harmonize the processes involved in product certification, export documentation, and compliance with international standards. By reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks, and enhance efficiency, save time and cost for exporters, and promote ease of doing business within the export value chain.
The State Coordinator, RMRDC, Anambra State, Dr. Uche Arinze-Nwosu, and other critical stakeholders at the event emphasized on ensuring Zero Reject spade of goods through Improved Quality Assurance. This initiative focuses on strengthening quality control mechanisms to ensure that products originating from Anambra State and Nigeria meet both local and international standards. It entails capacity building for producers and exporters, provision of testing and packaging facilities, and strict adherence to standardization protocols. The ultimate goal is to eliminate cases of product rejection at foreign borders—thereby boosting Nigeria’s reputation in the global market and increasing export earnings.
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Dr. Uche, highlighted the role of RMRDC in strengthening the export drive. She talked about the 30% Value addition bill that is currently waiting for presidential assent. She reaffirmed the bill’s importance calling for collaboration among stakeholders to achieve the value addition before export of raw material so as to boost the economy.
Speaking at the event, the Anambra State Coordinator of NEPC, Mr Peter Udom, reiterated on Cluster Formation, Registration, and Certification of Exporters. He observed that it will enhance productivity and competitiveness, and exporters will be encouraged to operate within organized clusters based on product type or geographical location. Adding that clusters will enable shared access to resources, technology, and technical support. This he noted encourage proper registration, certification and will also ensure traceability, compliance with export regulations, and access to government incentives and interventions.
“The clustering approach promotes collaboration, efficiency, and inclusive growth within the export ecosystem”, he affirmed.
Stakeholders also proposed collaboration with bonded warehouses within the state to facilitate smoother export operations and enhance compliance with international trade standards. In addition, they emphasized the importance of mentorship and partnership, particularly leveraging the experience and infrastructure of established exporters such as Tiger Foods, Golden Oil and others to drive efficiency and innovation among emerging exporters.
A key highlight of the session was the proposal for the establishment of Export Hubs across the three senatorial zones of Anambra State. Each hub would focus on processing indigenous products peculiar to its region, thereby promoting inclusiveness, competitiveness, and regional economic growth which aligned with the mandate of the Council.
