By Elizabeth Chukwuma
With the embargo on the export of processed wood, Charcoals and other allied products lifted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration, on the recommendation of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Emeka Paul Chiedozie, Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAFF, Tincan Island Chapter, has urged stakeholders to take advantage of the new government policy to export the products.
The government may have been encouraged to lift the ban on the export of processed wood, Charcoal and other allied products, mean for export , which the Federal Operations Unit, FOU Zone A, and Comptroller General of Customs Task Force, Team A, Lagos Zonal office, particular, had continuously seized from the export –oriented companies between 2020 and 2022.
Going by the present Administration’s economic focus to revamp businesses and increase the country’s foreign exchange earnings with the implementation of the RT200 scheme meant to raise the consciousness of Nigerian export –oriented companies and other stakeholders to expand their exports, may have encouraged the administration to strictly implement the scheme.
The RT200 scheme, was said to have been anchored on a five point agenda, with a view of raising 200 billion of the North American country of the United States dollar, in the next five ears. The government may have lifted the ban for the export –oriented companies to export processed wood, Charcoal and other baned items by the former President Muhammadu Buhari Administration as a way to increase the country’s forex inflow, diversify sources of forex inflow, increase the level of non-oil exports , ensure the stability and sustainability of forex inflows and equally support the export-orientated companies to expand their export operations and capabilities.
Until the former President Muhammadu’s Buhari’s Administration elapsed on May 29, 2023, Mohammed.H.Abdullahi, the immediate past minister of Environment , had given an indications at a takeholders’ consultative meeting on’’ the review of the ban on Charcoal and suspension of export of processed wood and other allied products’’.
The former minister had said that that many businesses had been unintentionally affected by the ban,,particular, those converting waste to wealth for export by the ban . He was said to have alluded to the fact that the decision was taken by the then Buhari’s Administration ‘’to enable the private sector and individuals to massivel invest in plantations.
As a Prelude to revisiting the policy, Abdullahi, the erstwhile minister of Environment was said to have appealed all Associations and Individuals in the Charcoal and processed wood business to adhere strictly to the Nigeria Timber Legality Standards and guideline for wood and charcoal export and ensure total compliance with the laid down rules to avoid banning the export of the products again.
Many believe that the ministry of Environment may have been encouraged to review its policy on the ban the export of processed wood and Charcoal and other allied products to give a breather to the export-oriented Companies involved in the business in order to get a share of the market for the products in the international market said to be worth $58.3 billion.
Note that many of the processed wood and Charcoal export –oriented companies which were driven out of the business by the Customs Interventionist teams, within the Lagos axis appears to have staged a comeback as the Hameed Ali, a retired Army Colonel and Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, has given them the go ahead to do so as approved by Tinubu, on the advice of the ministry of Environment and the Nigerian Expport Promotion Council, NEPC.
In a related development, Chiedozie, the Tin can Island, Chapter, NAGAFF , boss, and who incidentally is the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Seagold Limited,has thanked Tochukwu Ezsi, National President of NAGAFF, for renovating the Association office which was said to have cost N7.2 million.
The renovation of the NAGAFF, Tincan Island Chapter, Secretariat, appears to have made it possible for the members to gather together in one location to hold meetings and get the latest information on government policy about their business at the ports or land border areas from the NCS or the CBN, circulars.
This may have informed why the information on the new government policy lifting the embargo placed on the exportation of processed wood, Charcoal, and allied products could easily be passed to the members and the export oriented-companies as it was available to members to study and ensure total compliance to the rules. This is to avoid giving the government room to contemplate of taking such a decision again
In making a bold statement for the Nigerian pexport –oriented companies to compete with other foreign Companies in the processed wood, Charcoal and other allied products in the international market, without fear of being impounded by the Customs Interventionist Units, o in Lagos , the nation’s Commercial nerve centre and other ports and landborders , across the country, may have informed why the Ali led Customs has issued a Circular, dated June 8, 2023, stating a’’ conditional lifting of the ban on the export of the products and other allied items’’.
In spite of the Administrative ban lifted on the export of processed wood and Charcoal, Musa, popular, MBA, a former Comptroller of Tincan Island , Customs Area Comptroller and now , an Assistant Comptroller General, ACG, Trade and Tariff, Department, was said to have sent a message to the export –oried Companies , jubilating over the lifting of the Administrative ban on the exportation of processed wood and Charcoal that CITES, listed endangered species like Roosewood,or Pterocapus erinaceous , remains prohibited from being exported.
As a prelude to ensuring that the present Administration lifting of embarcoal on the exportation of processed wood and Charcoal are not taking for granted by the export-oriented companies and other stakeholders may have informed why ACG. Musa, has made it clear to those that cares to listen that ‘’all requests for the exportation of processed wood, Charcoal and other allied products must be backed by a letter of approval from the ministry of Finance , Budget and National , Planning.
He was said to have directed them ‘’ to be compliant with the provisions of the extant guidelines for non-oil export’’, and equally Collaborate with the Forest officers of the ministry of Environment at the Lagos ports of Apapa, Tincan Island, Port Services and Multi-terminal Limited, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, KLT, phases I and II and the south eastern ports of Onne, PortHarcour , Calabar and Delta port, Warri, and the Land borders across the country for ‘’proper identification and prevention of exportation of prohibited wood products’’.
