By Modupe Gbadeyanka
One of the major problems Nigerian manufacturers face, especially those on a small and medium scale, is selling their products in the international market.
Selling for export is what many people see as a daunting task but for those who know the nitty-gritty, it is one of the easiest forms of trade.
It is unfortunate that this gap seems to have been left wide open and this may have prompted a Nigerian international trade expert, Mr Olugbemiga Ojo, to take up the task to assist business owners to tackle this issue head-on.
The alumnus of the Harvard Law School on Thursday, February 4, 2021, launched a platform called EXIM Trade Options.
The initiative, which was introduced under Lakinberg LLC, is to boost export and import trade on the African continent and across the world.
The trading platform is structured to manage the end-to-end of the supply chain for both importers and exporters from any part of the world with the protection of the legal framework and insurance against losses.
It provides array of opportunities, with four payment and service packages to accommodate different capabilities including SMEs.
Speaking at the unveiling, Mr Ojo, a Notary Public in Washington DC and the State of Maryland, explained that the new platform creates a seamless flow of the supply value chain linked to reputable buyers and sellers around the world.
He assured that the company will provide end-to-end support to clients’ transactions “whether you buy, sell, or want to see samples [and provide] matches for goods and services that will accelerate your business growth.”
This, Business Post gathered the company hopes to achieve this with the assistance of the brilliant minds on the team, which include Mr Joel Patenaude, who is the Executive Vice President of the company, and Mr Peter Ojo, the Vice President of the firm.
The CEO of Lakinberg LLC, Mr Olugbemiga Ojo, is a renowned corporate commercial attorney with expertise in international trade law.
No wonder at the launch of the platform, several dignitaries and stakeholder in the industry were present to honour him, including the MD/CEO of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), who was represented by the Assistant General Manager Mr Eze Nwakanwa.
Others at the event were the CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) represented by Mrs Getrude Ukuoanem; Mr Tunde Sodade of Lekki Free Trade Zone and Mr Gary Scotland, the Head of West Africa Trade and Investment Hub at United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
