Due to a lack of quality control and poor packaging, hundreds of containers loaded with ‘Made in Nigeria’ products are being rejected in the international market and are returned home, the Nigerian Shippers Council has said.
According to the North-West zonal coordinator of the council, Karimatu Uthman, this and many similar unfortunate developments have prompted the council to embark on massive campaigns on quality control and excellent packaging that will attract international markets to the Made in Nigeria products.
Mrs. Uthman spoke at a one day workshop organized by her office in Kano, Wednesday.
She noted that over the years, the Nigerian Shippers Council, North West zonal coordinating office, has received series of complaints about the rejection of exported products by the oversee buyers due to the quality of the products.
She said the office also received inquiries from shippers with respect to quality specification and packaging.
Mrs. Uthman said few months ago, the council received no fewer than 100 containers rejected and returned to Nigeria from Mexico because of poor packaging and control.
She said if this trend continues Nigeria’s markets will no doubt crash and businesses crumble.
She said the main focus of the workshop, therefore, was to enlighten shippers particularly exporters of agricultural products on the imperative of packaging and quality control in international commodity transactions.
She said the main policy thrust of the Muhammadu Buhari administration is to give maximum attention to non-oil sector development. She said this could not be achieved if the poor quality control and packaging are not addressed.
Mrs. Uthman commended Mr. Buhari for deeming it appropriate to diversify away from oil. She said Nigeria would benefit from this if all hindrances are adequately being checkmated.
The director, Inland Transport Services, S. A. Adeagbo, represented by an assistant director, Murtala Akintola, explained that the new mandate of the Nigerian Shippers Council has placed on its shoulders the responsibility of providing a level playing field for every stakeholder to thrive in the system.
He said they were not unaware of the challenges faced by the shippers and other stakeholders in the Northern part of the country, specifically in the area of the cargo clearance and delivery for which the council will stop at nothing to mitigate the problems.