By Solomon OKPO
LAGOS, The Director General of the Association of Nigerian Exporters (ANE), Prince Joseph Idiong, has raised concerns over Nigeria’s absence of a National Export Strategy, stressing that the country risks continued marginalisation in global trade unless deliberate policy reforms are enacted.
Delivering a keynote address on “Closing the Africa Export Gap: Policy, Partnerships, and Pathways for SMEs” at the Africa SME Assembly 2025 in Lagos, Idiong lamented that despite Africa’s population of 1.4 billion, the continent contributes barely three percent of global trade.
He noted that while several African countries, including Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, and Rwanda, have adopted clear export strategies, Nigeria is yet to develop one. According to him, the last attempt by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) only produced a non-oil export framework, which fell short of a comprehensive national strategy.
“Successful global trade is nationally driven. African SMEs are willing and capable, but without the right policy environment, infrastructure, and financing, their contributions will remain limited,” Idiong said.
Highlighting policy, partnerships, and pathways as key enablers, the ANE boss emphasized that governments must work closely with the private sector to create SME-friendly trade policies, establish export financing structures, and avoid ad-hoc directives that disrupt contracts and frustrate exporters.
Idiong also faulted Nigeria’s recent policy decisions such as the Senate’s 30 percent value-addition requirement for raw agricultural exports and the six-month ban on shea nut exports, which he described as non-consultative and damaging to exporters’ commitments.
On financing, he called for the licensing of specialized export-friendly fintechs to support SMEs, citing Liquity, a Ghanaian firm now entering Nigeria, as an example of how invoice financing could boost exporters’ competitiveness.
He further urged African governments to treat diaspora remittances as export proceeds, incentivizing them to drive SME production for diaspora markets.
Concluding, Idiong maintained that Africa can only close its export gap if national governments adopt long-term strategies, prioritize SME readiness, and integrate into global value chains.
