The 7th Annual Edition of the Zenith Bank International Trade Seminar will take place on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, and virtually by 9.00 am. The seminar, themed “Unlocking Opportunities in Nigeria’s Non-Oil ExportBusiness”, 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.
The seminar will draw participation from trade practitioners, local and foreign exporters,manufacturers, financial institutions, and government agencies.
This forum wouldprovide an opportunity for all participants, including relevant government agencies, toexplore ways to unlock the immense opportunities in Nigeria’s Non-Oil Export Sector.
The Export Seminar will feature a welcome address by the Group Managing Director ofZenith Bank Plc, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, while the Keynote Speaker is Aliko Dangote,GCON, President & Chief Executive of Dangote Group. Goodwill messages will bedelivered by very eminent individuals, including the Founder and Chairman, Zenith BankPlc, Jim Ovia, CON; Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, CON;Secretary General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), His Excellency,Wamkele Mene; and President/Chairman, African Export-Import Bank, Prof. BenedictOkey Oramah.
There will be three panel discussions during the seminar.
The first panel, titled “Unlocking Opportunities in Nigeria’s Non-Oil Export Business: Operators/Practitioners’Perspectives”, will focus on the value chain and prospects of the non-oil export sectorand has five discussants, including the Managing Director, GACON Ltd, HRM AdakuChidume 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, Alhaji Adeyemi M. Adeniji.The second panel, titled “Funding/Logistics/Government Support for the Non-Oil ExportSector”, will explore the availability of long-term funds, insurance & reinsurance, andrisk-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; ManagingDirector, West Africa Container Terminal, Naved Zafar; Managing Director, NigerianPorts Authority, Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko; and the Comptroller-General, NigeriaCustoms Service, Col. Ibrahim Hameed Ali (Rtd).The third panel discussion, titled “The ABC of Non-Oil Export”, will focus on the pitfalls inthe non-oil export business, standardisation and grading of primary export products, aswell as the export of services, especially the burgeoning Nigerian creative industry.
The panel also has five discussants, including a well-respected trade expert, Mr Olusegun
Awolowo; Founder/CEO, Flutterwave, Agboola Olugbenga; Chairman/CEO, ColossusInvestmentMr Babatola Faseru; President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria,Segun Ajayi; and Senior Consultant, 3T Impex Trade Centre, Mr Bamidele Ayemibo.
The seminar will be live on Zoom and YouTube.