NANTS Seeks End To Import Waivers

The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), Mr. Ken Ukaoha has decried the indiscriminate granting of import waivers to businesses in the country saying it constitutes a drain on the economy.

Mr. Ukaoha’s comment is coming on the heels of the proposed move by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to commence the use of a Common External Tariff (CET) in the sub region.


Speaking with BenjaminUmumeteReport, the NANTS President said it has become a conduit pipe through which revenue that is legitimately due for the development of the country has continually been drained off the purse of government.

“Nigerian government should stop waiver to individual businessmen. But they can apply some level of sectoral waiver across board so that it becomes a level playing ground for everybody to enjoy it not just individuals that are favoured or highly placed. A certain kind of waiver is good for the economy.”

While faulting the continued protection of the country’s infant industries, Mr. Ukaoha advocated for the protection of the pharmaceutical sector due its potential to be being a foreign exchange earner for the country.

“What we should do is to identify the sectors that need protection. What are the sectors that have potentials, sectors that can compete? These are the ones you can protect.

“For instance, the pharmaceutical industry is a growing sector right now in Nigeria and there is a growing market in West Africa. What you can do is to protect them and I think they can produce and have a market which is already there.”

For her part, Mr. Hauwa Mustapha of the Nigeria Labour Council (NLC) argued that to have a virile manufacturing sector, government must develop the country’s infrastructures.

Mrs. Mustapha also advised government to tighten restriction on importation so that Nigeria does not become a dumping ground for all sorts of imported goods.

“When the facilities for effective competition are not there, you cannot talk about competition because the products that would be coming in are already coming from places where the cost of production is very low.”

She continued that “Now what we need to do is before you lower the tariff for rice, boost production of rice. So that even when rice is going to come from Thailand, it would not find market in Nigeria even if it comes through Benin Republic, even if it comes through Ghana, it will not find market in Nigeria. That is what is missing.”