Video Archives - PDF II: Resources

Improving Trade Policies in Nigeria

Crude oil prices took a deep plunge in April 2020 with Brent Crude dropping below $20 per barrel. With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and crashing oil prices, the need for Nigeria to be less reliant on oil becomes more glaring. The Policy Development Facility Bridge programme’s Trade Policy Workstream (TRD) has been supporting the growth of the non-oil export sector since its predecessor programme Policy Development Facility II (PDF II). The support is a two-pronged approach that is targeted at increasing the number of export-ready MSMEs in the non-oil export trade. This approach explores enabling the identified underrepresented export-oriented voices in economic policy and strengthening the sustainable participation of exporter groups. Listen to the changes that have occurred.

Economic Sustainability Plan

PDF Bridge’s embedded advisors at the Office of the Vice President discuss how their contributions led to Nigeria’s exit from recession.

Engagement with the legislature

Dr. Dapo Oyewole and Dr. Greg Ezeilo, PDF Bridge Technical Advisors appointed to support the Office of the Speaker and the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives respectively discuss their contributions to pro-poor policies.

Lifting 100 Million Nigerians out of Poverty

The Policy Development Facility Bridge programme’s Trade Policy Workstream (TRD) has been supporting the growth of the non-oil export sector since its predecessor programme Policy Development Facility II (PDF II) by enabling underrepresented export-oriented voices in economic policy and strengthening the sustainable participation of exporter groups.

One of the many ways TRD is addressing this is through an innovative trade mentorship programme. The programme is connecting non-oil export potentials with experienced mentors who have practical regulatory, sourcing, shipping, marketing, and export financing knowledge. The mentors will handhold the mentees helping them escape the initial pitfalls that plague inexperienced exporters. The programme began on November 18, 2020 and currently has 7 mentors and 17 active mentees.

PDF Bridge Advisors leveraged evidence from research conducted by PDF Bridge in contributing to the development of an Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) which focuses on a post-covid19 economy recovery targeting retention of existing jobs, creating new jobs, levering digital skills to export services, and advocating for interventions which seek to de-risk the environment.

Capacity Building for Trade Associations (Day 2)

Trade Associations play a role in promoting appropriate policies, regulations, and necessary reforms relating to their sector of operations. They create opportunities for networking and consultations among industry players as well as being a voice when it comes to new regulations and legislations while encouraging best practices among its members. According to Peter Gomersall^[1], trade associations exist to support their members and further their interests, to defend them when they are under threats and to promote a common position on issues affecting the environment in which they operate.

Given the foregoing, the PDF Bridge Trade Policy Workstream organised a two-day capacity-building session targeted at strengthening the leadership of non-oil export-related trade associations and improve on their business strategy to position them to take advantage of the opportunities in the non-oil export value chain. The sessions had in attendance delegates from government agencies such as FMITI, NAQS, FMARD, NOTN, CBN as well as executives of trade group drawn from various industries including agricultural commodities farmers, agricultural commodities exchange and aggregators, industrialists, agro-processors, women, and youth development groups, textile and apparel among other participants.

[1] https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEDS/article/download/7852/8030

Here is a link to Day 1 of the training.

Capacity Building for Trade Associations

Trade Associations play a role in promoting appropriate policies, regulations, and necessary reforms relating to their sector of operations. They create opportunities for networking and consultations among industry players as well as being a voice when it comes to new regulations and legislations while encouraging best practices among its members. According to Peter Gomersall^[1], trade associations exist to support their members and further their interests, to defend them when they are under threats and to promote a common position on issues affecting the environment in which they operate.

Given the foregoing, the PDF Bridge Trade Policy Workstream organised a two-day capacity-building session targeted at strengthening the leadership of non-oil export-related trade associations and improve on their business strategy to position them to take advantage of the opportunities in the non-oil export value chain. The sessions had in attendance delegates from government agencies such as FMITI, NAQS, FMARD, NOTN, CBN as well as executives of trade group drawn from various industries including agricultural commodities farmers, agricultural commodities exchange and aggregators, industrialists, agro-processors, women, and youth development groups, textile and apparel among other participants.

[1] https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEDS/article/download/7852/8030

A Roundtable Event on the Diversification Study and Non-Oil Export Opportunities for Nigerian States Post-Covid-19

The Policy Development Facility Bridge program (PDF Bridge) held a Trade Policy Roundtable to discuss the findings and recommendations from its recent study titled “Diversification and Non-oil Export Opportunities for Nigerian States Post-Covid19”.

The objectives of the policy roundtable were;

To provide a forum for relevant stakeholders to learn about and discuss the findings from the Export Diversification study;
Through discussions, generate recommendations on necessary actionable steps towards reforms, process restructuring, elimination of various challenges identified in the study, and implementation of the study recommendations.

A Roundtable on the Export Expansion Grant

Export Expansion Grant (EEG) was established under the Export Incentives and Miscellaneous Decrees of 1986 and amended into an Act in 1992 to accomplish the diversification agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN). Other export support funds created under the same Act are the Export Development Fund (EDF) and Export Adjustment Scheme Fund (EASF). The funds have been repositioned in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of 2017-2020. The EEG is a post-shipment incentive scheme aimed to achieve three key objectives: (i) to enable exporters to expand their businesses more conveniently, (ii) make Nigeria’s non-oil export more competitive, and (iii) facilitate greater and faster foreign market penetration.

PDF II (now PDF Bridge)’s Trade Policy Workstream funded a study on “Analysis and Impact of the Export Expansion Grant on Export Potential, Market Access and Export Competitiveness in Nigeria”. This policy roundtable discussed the findings and recommendations from this study.

Southeast Regional Dialogue

This dialogue explores the alternative ways to provide market access to the southeast business hubs from Aba through Onitsha. COVID19 has caused businesses to reimagine their trade value-chain working actively to diversify roles. This dialogue explores ways that new technologies can help bridge the gap between buyers, sellers, and manufacturers.

Branding and Packaging for Exports

This video provides training on branding and packaging for exports delivered by Kofoworola Ajelabi. Kofoworola is a highly-skilled professional with over 40 years of cognate experience in Product Packaging for the enrichment of marketability of consumer goods. The rich background in this specialized area spans across industrial and consulting responsibilities