Over the past six years, Nigeria’s export of fresh fruits and vegetables has slumped, causing huge losses to the country in terms of revenue. Industry players are worried that as a very small share of the volume of fruit and vegetables produced is exported, the share is decreasing by half, as the production is growing and the level of export reducing.
This, stakeholders claimed, is part of the reasons why airlines depart the country without exportable goods, which in turn has been linked with loss of foreign exchange for the country.
According to COLEACP Senior Project Manager Wester Schepers Nigeria’s commodity exports dropped since 2016. Schepers said about sub-region exports: “Niger exports 21 per cent, Côte d’Ivoire 21 per cent, Ghana 17 per cent, Senegal 16 per cent, Burkina Faso 9 per cent, Mali 5 per cent, Togo 5 per cent and Nigeria 3 per cent.”
“In terms of total agro commodities from ECOWAS countries, Côte d’Ivoire contributed 42 per cent, Ghana 18 per cent and Nigeria 8 per cent. Others were Senegal per cent, Niger 6 per cent, Burkina Faso 6 per cent, Benin Republic 4 per cent and Guinea-Bissau 3 per cent. Togo 2 per cent, Guinea 2 per cent, Mali and Gambia 1 per cent.”
“Even if the trade with the EU and UK is low, main exported commodities are processed mixtures of fruit and nuts, fresh ethnic roots and tubers and other nuts. Nuts exports are increasing. Exports of roots and tubers are increasing too, but are experiencing a decrease after a peak in 2018.”
Source: guardian.ng
