By Aduragbemi Omiyale
On Wednesday, July 20, 2022, Zenith Bank will host critical stakeholders in the non-oil export sub-sector of the Nigerian economy at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The hybrid event, Zenith Bank International Trade Seminar, in its 7th edition, would be aired on Zoom and YouTube via https://bit.ly/ZBTradeSeminarLive and would require registration via www.zenithbank/exportsem.
In a statement issued by the bank on Monday, it was stated that the seminar, which starts at 9.00 am, is themed Unlocking Opportunities in Nigeria’s Non-Oil Export Business and is part of Zenith Bank’s efforts to support the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) initiatives to grow the country’s non-oil export sector.
Expected at the programme are trade practitioners, local and foreign exporters, manufacturers, financial institutions, and government agencies.
The Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, will also be part of it, while Mr Aliko Dangote will deliver the keynote address.
Goodwill messages will be delivered by the founder and chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Jim Ovia; Governor of the CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele; Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Mr Wamkele Mene; and President/Chairman of the African Export-Import Bank, Mr Benedict Okey Oramah.
There will be three-panel discussions during the seminar, with the first titled Unlocking Opportunities in Nigeria’s Non-Oil Export Business: Operators/Practitioners’ Perspectives. It will focus on the value chain and prospects of the non-oil export sector and has five discussants, including the Managing Director, GACON Ltd, Mr Adaku Chidume Okoro; Managing Director, WACOT, Bibhu Nanda; Group Managing Director, Tulip Cocoa, Johan Van Der Merwe; Managing Director, First Patriot, Santosh Phenany; and Managing Director, Starlink Global & Ideal Ltd, Mr Adeyemi M Adeniji.
The second panel titled Funding/Logistics/Government Support for the Non-Oil Export Sector” will explore the availability of long-term funds, insurance & reinsurance, and risk-sharing mechanism for the non-oil export sector. The panel has five discussants, including the Managing Director/CEO, Bank of Industry, Mr Olukayode Pitan; Director, Development Finance of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Yusuf Philip Yila; Managing Director, West Africa Container Terminal, Naved Zafar; Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko; and the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Mr Ibrahim Hameed Ali.
The third-panel discussion titled The ABC of Non-Oil Export will focus on the pitfalls in the non-oil export business, standardisation and grading of primary export products, as well as the export of services, especially in the burgeoning Nigerian creative industry. The panel also has five discussants, including a well-respected trade expert, Mr Olusegun Awolowo; founder/CEO of Flutterwave, Mr Agboola Olugbenga; Chairman/CEO of Colossus Investment, Mr Babatola Faseru; President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mr Segun Ajayi; and Senior Consultant, 3T Impex Trade Centre, Mr Bamidele Ayemibo.
