Customs Area Controller, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal Command, Comptroller Benjamin Aber, has urged Nigerians to be more serious with exportation of goods to replenish the country’s dwindling foreign reserves.

Aber made the plea at a meeting on the Nigerian Export Trade Hub (NETH), hosted by the Customs command, suggesting Nigeria needed to be focused on exportation in order to get out of the current economic recession

According to him, in the last eight months the command had been organising several meetings geared toward reviving the Kirikiri Terminal, saying agriculture could sustain Nigeria if vigorously pursued.

The Comptroller said all Federal regulatory agencies would be linked to the NETH, saying doing business through the Hub would be easy.

NETH was launched on Aug. 2016 by critical stakeholders, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), National Foods, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC); and Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA)

It is aimed not only to earn foreign exchange for the country but to also create a trade balance.

The exportable commodities are to be warehoused in Aulic Container Bonded Terminal in the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos.

According to the Coordinator of the Hub, Assistant Superintendent of Customs, Frank Ezeh, NETH gives investors the opportunity to bring in their goods, have easy access to exporting them out of the country, saying this is to also guide against the ban or black listing of Nigerian exports to Europe and the world over.

Chief Executive Officer of Aulic Container Bonded Terminal, Prof. Nick Ezeh, who doubles as the Chairman of the Infrastructure and Business Committee of NETH, said the terminal has a standard police station.

According to him, there is also an export hall measuring 11,000 square metres, fire service station and a medical clinic.

Ezeh said with the10-lane road project of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Nigeria, “the terminal is a place to be’’.

Corroborating Comptroller Aber’s position on government agencies in the terminal, Ezeh said there were buildings that would accommodate all government agencies in separate offices.

He called on government’s representatives at the meeting to turn in their requirements and how they want their offices to look like.

A representative of NACCIMA, Chief Wale Adegboye said the Hub would add more value to the exportation of goods in Nigeria and “will bring back the confidence of exporters in Nigeria’’.

He lauded the resilience of Comptroller Aber in bringing the needed change with his expertise, promised that the Chamber would support the Hub.