Nigeria Exports 18,000 Garments To US Under AGOA  
 

By Franklin Alli

21st July 2008

The Nigerian Export Promotion Commission (NEPC) through F & D Garment Manufacturing Co has kicked-off export of 18,000 locally made garments to the United States of America under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

AGOA is an initiative of the US government aimed at assisting Sub-Saharan African’s economic development by promoting trade and investment between the US and the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.  Since the introduction of the scheme in 2000 the country has not been doing well compared with Mauritius and Lesotho largest exporters of garments to the US.

In an address during the flagged off ceremony of the first batch of consignment to the US, Ag. GM NEPC, Mrs. Omowunmi Osibo, said that the products were manufactured by students who have graduated from the NEPC Human Capital Development (AGOA) Training Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, affirming that the products have met all the required standards for the USA market.
“There’s no doubt that more needs to be done for us to take more advantage of the AGOA provisions,” she stated.

US Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Renee Sanders, said the launch marked a new era between Nigeria and US trade relations.
“Nigeria is exporting a small amount of non-oil products under the advantages of AGOA, and my goal is to change that,” said the envoy. According to Ambassador Sanders, the Embassy is firmly committed to work in partnership, to move into a new era of US-Nigerian business relations, which includes AGOA, but also involves a new bilateral investment treaty which is under discussion.”

F & D Managing Director, Mr. Prabhu Dorai, however, applauded the US for opening her door for Made-In-Nigeria goods to enter the country.   He also thanked Oceanic Bank International PLC, and the Nigerian Export- Import Bank (NEXIM) for their provision of credit facility which enable the company obtained machinery for production.

The world can trust in Nigerian garments product. And our vision is to become biggest producers and exporters of garments and apparels in West Africa,” said a spokesman for the graduated students of the AGOA School. Vanguard gathered that the school which was commissioned five months ago till date has produced four sets of 221 students, while the fifth batch of 52 students resumed training two weeks ago.

The AGOA school is aimed at orientating young Nigerians from seeking white-collar jobs or paid employment to being trained as young entrepreneurs through courses in entrepreneurship skills in the hope that in no distant future they too will be employers of labour.

Source: Vanguard

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