March 11, 2024

Lagos State Government has partnered with Africa Import & Export Solutions Limited, and Export and Sell USA (AIES/E&S) to train Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, (MSMEs) on the opportunities available and processes for exporting to the United States of America.

The training with the theme: “Export to Wealth”, focused on warehousing, dispatching, export licensing, accessing profitability software windows, finding buyers, listing and management on Amazon, opening bank accounts and filing trademarks and others.

Speaking at the event in Lagos recently, Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperative, Trade & Investment, MCCTI, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem stated that Lagos has a mandate to grow local production capacity to meet export needs through AfCFTA, and it is currently working on steps to encourage exporters to leverage agreement among other platforms for export.

Her words: “The State is ready to play a strategic role to encourage trade and investments to combat poverty and unemployment, and it has tasked the State Working Group on AfCFTA to deploy innovative strategies to identify MSMEs, with various trade and investment opportunities, that can be supported for product export in the State.

“With the effort by the State Government, MSMEs in the State are expected to be actively engaged in the AfCFTA market. This training, organised by Africa Import and Export Solutions and Export and Sell USA will further expose them to the processes, procedures and opportunities required. This is why we decided to partner in this programme”.

Describing MSMEs as very important due to their pivotal role in economic development, the Commissioner remarked that due to the nation’s foreign exchange scarcity and the need to strengthen the local currency: “We must be intentional to develop the country’s several agro and mineral-based commodities, with special attention on their value chain potentials.

“With more attention being turned to non-oil exports in line with the global sustainability drive, Nigeria can benefit from the exploitation and utilisation of raw materials and production along the value chain, which can positively impact its development and survival as it leads to capacity utilisation of many industries, with consequent improvement of the standard of living of its citizens”, she added.

Chairman, Export & Sell, Nduka Udeh described the training as critical to empowering participants with the information needed to break the barriers against exporting local products. He said,

“The key is preparing the products for export to prevent their rejection and we are looking forward to stronger collaboration with Lagos State Government to further deepen this knowledge among MSMEs

Also speaking, Chief Executive Officer, African Import & Export Solutions Limited, Bisola Esan reiterated that at the two-day event, businesses were shown how they can take their products global and earn in dollars.

“From selling on platforms like Amazon and African stores across the USA to reaching customers through US retail stores and wholesale distribution, the possibilities are endless.

“Our team of experts guided attendees on everything from identifying export-worthy products to packaging them to meet international standards, shipping them hassle-free and providing the most affordable warehousing options to them in the US”, she said.

Esan further stated that what is incredible is that MSMEs can do all of this without even being physically present in the US as their mission is clear, which is to increase the wealth of Africa.