Hello House,

We just recently doubled the capacity and output of our new factory here in Agbara and I am saddled with the responsibility of also doubling our sales output. I am seriously thinking of venturing into the French speaking countries all around Nigeria (Ghana not included) and seeing if these markets can absorb our new output. Can anyone please direct me to any agency that can help me carry out this huge task successfully ? I am not talking of truck owners or traders o. I mean any marketing agency that specializes in export sales of Nigerian products to West Central African countries and can guide our entry into these neighboring francophone countries. Thank you.

My company also had the same issue and we searched far and wide before we luckily came across a really nice and efficient company that does just that. The company is very well run and easy to deal with. The guy that runs it speaks very fluent French and English. His marketing and strategy skills are also quite advanced with regards to that of your average Nigerian sales manager. They’re somewhere in Yaba. The company is called NELISS International I think (not sure again). I’m sure if you google NELISS International or neliss dot com something will come up. Wish you luck !

NELISS International is the only company in Lagos I know that renders business services to companies with regards to Business Expansion, Export Sales & Marketing, etc to French speaking countries in West and Central Africa.

Thank you guys. I really appreciate your response so far.

Yes they’re right. As a sales person, the only company in Lagos that I’ve heard of that specializes in Export Sales & Marketing to Francophone countries in West and Central Africa is NELISS International. They’re in Apapa & Yaba, somewhere near Alliance Francaise at Alagomeji, Yaba. They’re actually very good. Most people speak well of them. I worked with them in my former place of work and the guy running the company was quite professional.

It feels real nice to see that Nigerian business men and manufacturers are now thinking in a direction that contributes immensely to Nation building. I'm saying this because any form of exportation, be it a manufactured product or an agricultural product is a source of foreign exchange revenue for Nigeria and this is invaluable to nation building.

Here's an article I read a few days days ago that got me really thinking :

-----------------------------------


FG steps up efforts on non-oil products export to ECOWAS countries

Oladunjoye Snr correspondent
Posted on Friday, November 9th, 2012

The Federal Government has said that it has put structures in place to boost trade between Nigeria and other member states of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS).
Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said this at the 3rd Nigerian Non-Oil Export Conference Exhibition and Awards, held in Abuja. Aganga said the Federal Government would formalise data capturing of the country’s non-oil exports to ECOWAS countries from its current 10 per cent to 50 per cent within the next three years as part of efforts to improve regional trade.
“One of the initiatives, which the Nigerian Export Promotion Council has done, is the data capturing of the informal trade between Nigeria and other countries. Also, we are developing the trans-national border markets in order to formalise trade that we tend to see across the borders. The first one we are doing is in Okerete, Oyo State. Already, we have done the business plan.
“Also, on the regional level, we will redress the previous situation of 80 per cent of ECOWAS goods being of Nigerian origin and less than 10 per cent of it being captured in Nigeria’s official trade performance figures, hence our determination to formalise Nigeria’s exports to ECOWAS up to 50 per cent from its present 10 per cent over the next three years. We also believe that making ECOWAS Nigeria’s catchment’s area will help to enhance the capacity of our non-oil exporters to be more actively and fruitfully participate in the fiercely competitive international marketplace, which is the pillar of our development strategy,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Corporate Affairs Commission had developed a special programme to fast-track the registration of Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises, adding that the Ministry of Trade and Investment would work with the Commission to effectively participate and compete in the global export marketplace.
“The other thing we are doing is to encourage Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises who are into non-oil export by letting them know that they can access finance if they become organised. We have opened a special window in the Corporate Affairs Commission to fast-track the registration of most of these MSMES.
“They will come on board, register and then we will form them into co-operatives. Also, we will link them up with business developers to work with them to develop their business plans to enable them have access to credit. Thereafter, we will work with them to make sure that they have access to finance,” Aganga said.
Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, said the development of the non-oil sector was critical to the realisation of Nigeria’ s vision of becoming one of the 20 most developed economies by the year 2020.
“There is no doubt that the development of the non-oil sector should be given the pride of place in the Transformation Agenda of this administration since the non-oil sector holds the key to its realisation,” he said.


Ref :
http://www.dailyindependentnig.com/2012/11/fg-steps-up-efforts-on-non-oil-products-export-to-ecowas-countries/

baltty: It feels real nice to see that Nigerian business men and manufacturers are now thinking in a direction that contributes immensely to Nation building. I'm saying this because any form of exportation, be it a manufactured product or an agricultural product is a source of foreign exchange revenue for Nigeria and this is invaluable to nation building.

Here's an article I read a few days days ago that got me really thinking :

-----------------------------------


FG steps up efforts on non-oil products export to ECOWAS countries

Oladunjoye Snr correspondent
Posted on Friday, November 9th, 2012

The Federal Government has said that it has put structures in place to boost trade between Nigeria and other member states of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS).
Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said this at the 3rd Nigerian Non-Oil Export Conference Exhibition and Awards, held in Abuja. Aganga said the Federal Government would formalise data capturing of the country’s non-oil exports to ECOWAS countries from its current 10 per cent to 50 per cent within the next three years as part of efforts to improve regional trade.
“One of the initiatives, which the Nigerian Export Promotion Council has done, is the data capturing of the informal trade between Nigeria and other countries. Also, we are developing the trans-national border markets in order to formalise trade that we tend to see across the borders. The first one we are doing is in Okerete, Oyo State. Already, we have done the business plan.
“Also, on the regional level, we will redress the previous situation of 80 per cent of ECOWAS goods being of Nigerian origin and less than 10 per cent of it being captured in Nigeria’s official trade performance figures, hence our determination to formalise Nigeria’s exports to ECOWAS up to 50 per cent from its present 10 per cent over the next three years. We also believe that making ECOWAS Nigeria’s catchment’s area will help to enhance the capacity of our non-oil exporters to be more actively and fruitfully participate in the fiercely competitive international marketplace, which is the pillar of our development strategy,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Corporate Affairs Commission had developed a special programme to fast-track the registration of Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises, adding that the Ministry of Trade and Investment would work with the Commission to effectively participate and compete in the global export marketplace.
“The other thing we are doing is to encourage Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises who are into non-oil export by letting them know that they can access finance if they become organised. We have opened a special window in the Corporate Affairs Commission to fast-track the registration of most of these MSMES.
“They will come on board, register and then we will form them into co-operatives. Also, we will link them up with business developers to work with them to develop their business plans to enable them have access to credit. Thereafter, we will work with them to make sure that they have access to finance,” Aganga said.
Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, said the development of the non-oil sector was critical to the realisation of Nigeria’ s vision of becoming one of the 20 most developed economies by the year 2020.
“There is no doubt that the development of the non-oil sector should be given the pride of place in the Transformation Agenda of this administration since the non-oil sector holds the key to its realisation,” he said.

Wow, this is a very inspiring article... I'm begining to have ideas

What does ur company manufacture?lets c if i can contact some of my friends ova dea on ur behalf.

baltty: It feels real nice to see that Nigerian business men and manufacturers are now thinking in a direction that contributes immensely to Nation building. I'm saying this because any form of exportation, be it a manufactured product or an agricultural product is a source of foreign exchange revenue for Nigeria and this is invaluable to nation building.

Here's an article I read a few days days ago that got me really thinking :

-----------------------------------


FG steps up efforts on non-oil products export to ECOWAS countries

Oladunjoye Snr correspondent
Posted on Friday, November 9th, 2012

The Federal Government has said that it has put structures in place to boost trade between Nigeria and other member states of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS).
Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said this at the 3rd Nigerian Non-Oil Export Conference Exhibition and Awards, held in Abuja. Aganga said the Federal Government would formalise data capturing of the country’s non-oil exports to ECOWAS countries from its current 10 per cent to 50 per cent within the next three years as part of efforts to improve regional trade.
“One of the initiatives, which the Nigerian Export Promotion Council has done, is the data capturing of the informal trade between Nigeria and other countries. Also, we are developing the trans-national border markets in order to formalise trade that we tend to see across the borders. The first one we are doing is in Okerete, Oyo State. Already, we have done the business plan.
“Also, on the regional level, we will redress the previous situation of 80 per cent of ECOWAS goods being of Nigerian origin and less than 10 per cent of it being captured in Nigeria’s official trade performance figures, hence our determination to formalise Nigeria’s exports to ECOWAS up to 50 per cent from its present 10 per cent over the next three years. We also believe that making ECOWAS Nigeria’s catchment’s area will help to enhance the capacity of our non-oil exporters to be more actively and fruitfully participate in the fiercely competitive international marketplace, which is the pillar of our development strategy,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Corporate Affairs Commission had developed a special programme to fast-track the registration of Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises, adding that the Ministry of Trade and Investment would work with the Commission to effectively participate and compete in the global export marketplace.
“The other thing we are doing is to encourage Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises who are into non-oil export by letting them know that they can access finance if they become organised. We have opened a special window in the Corporate Affairs Commission to fast-track the registration of most of these MSMES.
“They will come on board, register and then we will form them into co-operatives. Also, we will link them up with business developers to work with them to develop their business plans to enable them have access to credit. Thereafter, we will work with them to make sure that they have access to finance,” Aganga said.
Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, said the development of the non-oil sector was critical to the realisation of Nigeria’ s vision of becoming one of the 20 most developed economies by the year 2020.
“There is no doubt that the development of the non-oil sector should be given the pride of place in the Transformation Agenda of this administration since the non-oil sector holds the key to its realisation,” he said.


Ref :
http://www.dailyindependentnig.com/2012/11/fg-steps-up-efforts-on-non-oil-products-export-to-ecowas-countries/

This issue of exporting Nigerian made products to other Ecowas countires is very crucial. We need to be discussing it more often.

I need your advice in this issue pls. I am a soldier and am planing to leave my job, i want to go into exporting agricultural products. what do i do?