• Polaris Bank reaffirms commitment
Stakeholders in the cargo exports have restated their commitment to supporting government’s $1 trillion agenda by increasing the volume of Nigerian exports.
They spoke at a capacity building forum on export processing for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) organised by Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc in Lagos.
Group Executive Director, Business & Business Development, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc, Prince Saheed Lasisi, said NAHCO has keyed into and is contributing to Federal Government’s realization of the vision of $1 trillion economy by 2030.
“A major focus of the government in achieving this goal is commodity exports. And to record the needed volume in commodity exports, the nation needs the small and medium enterprises (SMEs),” Lasisi said.
He said NAHCO recognises the contribution SMEs make to national development and is charting the way forward in preparing them for foreign markets.
He pointed out however that SMEs needed to build capacity in export processing because exporting agro products and commodities requires strong logistics and handling backbone and that NAHCO sits at the centre of the export value chain. He explained that the company serves as the link between exporters, airlines, and regulators.
In this role, NAHCO will provide necessary guidance in cargo handling, including in areas of the quality of Product preservation, regulatory compliance, on-time flight connections, and acceptance requirements by international buyers.
Lasisi, in his presentation, also detailed the specialised packaging required for perishable and sensitive items.
He said: “We have provided, with FAAN’s approval, a proper packaging facility in the airport area. Our packaging area is in the NAHCO Export Packaging and Processing Centre (NEPPC), the only one of its kind in Nigeria, and we started operations in July last year. NAHCO also has an Export Desk that provides support for exporters”.
Chairman, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Export Group, Kola Awe Esq, said NACCIMA has put in place initiatives designed to assist smaller businesses.
He said: “We have created the NACCIMA Export Support Centre for MSMEs. The average exporter faces a lot of challenges. A lot of exporters are finding it difficult to scale their businesses because of so many challenges. Multinationals are faring better than MSMEs because they have the financial might to take on any issues they might face in exporting”.
Highlighting the economic weight of small businesses, he said, “MSMEs contribute significantly to the Nigeria economy. There are an estimated 39.6 million MSMEs in Nigeria, though this number has slightly declined in recent years due to a challenging economic environment. This is why we need to provide support for MSMEs. MSMEs also have a strong presence in agriculture, retail, and manufacturing. The NACCIMA Export Support Centre for MSMEs is a practical export intervention initiative to support SMEs.”
The Director General, NACCIMA, Engr. Sola Obadimu, had, while welcoming participants to the event stated that the collaboration between NAHCO and NACCIMA highlights the importance of private sector partnership in Nigerian agro products growth. “Today, MSMEs account for 80 to 90% of businesses and they employ more than 80% of the workforce. Yet, their contribution to exports remains mostly disproportionate. If more SMEs embrace export, we can change the narrative. Addressing the barriers that SMEs face requires cooperation from various stakeholders. Nigeria’s economy has a lot of potentials and the activities of NACCIMA would contribute to achieving our goals,” he declared.
According Obadimu, while agriculture contributes to over 20% of Nigeria’s GDP, agro based exports still represent only a modest share of our local export earnings, likely due to procedural bottlenecks, lack of adequate export knowledge, weak export readiness, logistics challenges, and limited access to structured export support.
Speaking at the programme, Polaris Bank’s Executive Director, Chris Ofikulu, underscored the national importance of export diversification and the central role of SMEs in building a resilient economy. He noted that reducing Nigeria’s dependence on oil revenues requires coordinated action across the public and private sectors to strengthen non-oil exports, particularly within agro-exports and commodity trade.
“Expanding non-oil exports is not optional; it is a strategic imperative for building a resilient, inclusive and competitive Nigerian economy. SMEs, particularly in agro-exports and commodity trade, hold the key to unlocking our true comparative advantage. Polaris Bank remains committed to providing the finance, advisory support and partnerships required to help them scale confidently and compete globally,” Ofikulu said.
The engagement also focused on addressing structural challenges confronting exporters, including infrastructure gaps, port inefficiencies, logistics constraints, standards and certification requirements, and policy consistency.
Participants emphasized the need for stronger public-private collaboration among government agencies, trade bodies, financial institutions and logistics partners to simplify export procedures and improve market access for Nigerian SMEs.
Also addressing stakeholders, Olaleye Arinola, Team Lead, Trade Services, Polaris Bank, highlighted the importance of removing trade and payment bottlenecks that limit exporter competitiveness and cash flow. He emphasized the Bank’s focus on building confidence and certainty into the export process through practical financial and advisory support.
“Exports cannot grow if finance and payments remain obstacles. At Polaris Bank, our focus is on removing friction from international trade by ensuring SMEs get paid faster, safer and with greater certainty through efficient trade finance, secure cross-border payments and hands-on guidance across documentation, FX and compliance,” Arinola said.
As part of its partnership with the business and trade community, Polaris Bank unveiled a Dedicated Help Desk for NACCIMA members, designed to provide direct access to trade finance and payment support, fast-track resolution of export-related enquiries, and personalized advisory services on FX documentation and regulatory compliance.
Polaris Bank reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with NAHCO, NACCIMA and other stakeholders to strengthen exporter capacity, promote value addition across agro-exports and commodities, and unlock sustainable growth opportunities for Nigerian businesses in regional and global markets.
In his remarks regarding the Nigerian government’s initiatives to boost national exports, President, Aviation Cargo Committee, Mr. Ikechi Uko, emphasized the necessity of air logistics. He observed, air freight is very important for growth of SMEs. According to him, “A lot of aircraft come into Nigeria full but they leave empty. The government is trying to organise air export business so that aircrafts\ can leave the country filled with Nigerian goods.”
While sharing industry insights on managing MSMEs within the Nigerian landscape, the MD/CEO, Burcont Shipping Nigeria Limited, Dr. Akin Oladipupo, commended the organizers for the collaborative effort, stating, “I want to thank NACCIMA and NAHCO for giving us this great event and for making us come together to discuss about this industry. There are billions of naira in the farming and agricultural industry that are untapped. What is Nigeria really doing about our food exports into other countries?”
He said a forum such as the NAHCO/NACCIMA forum would proffer solutions to this problem.
Present at the event were important government agencies critical for agro export. They include the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service NAQS), National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Federal Produce Inspection Office (FPIS), Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Also present were airlines and logistic partners including Turkish Cargo, Lufthanza, Qatar Airways, Kenya Airways, Rwand Air, DHL, Burcont Logistics and NAGAFF.
