PDF Bridge Final Newsletter – Eleventh Edition
It is our final newsletter for the PDF Bridge programme and we would like to say a massive thank you to every one of you for being critical stakeholders. Read on as we share our success stories and highlight our triumphs in the last one year.
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.
Rebuilding Nigeria’s Economy through Non-Oil Exports: A Strategic Imperative
The Non-Oil Export Community of Practice became the vehicle through which exporter voices became heard and grew in strength and in numbers. By the end of the PDF II program, the Community of Practice was formalised into a registered Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) called the ‘Network of Practicing Non-Oil Exporters of Nigeria (NPNEN)’ to continue the efforts initiated during the PDF II. NPNEN was set up as an umbrella platform for collaboration among the different actors in Nigeria’s non-oil export value chain. NPNEN convened its major flagship event, the annual Non-oil Export Conference, Exhibition and Awards (NECEA) which is also a vehicle for actualizing its objectives.
The 2021 NECEA brought together critical stakeholders in the non-oil sector including top officials of government, civil society, private sector, the media, and academia to dialogue on how to refocus the country’s non-oil sector, for more effective participation in global trade, especially within the framework of the recently operationalized African Continental Free Trade Agreement. Given also the current state of Nigeria’s economy as evident in the downward spiraling of the Naira, there is certainly a need to revitalize the economy primarily through non-oil exports. The NECEA was a good medium to beam the spotlight on the alternative to oil as the mainstay of the economy.
PDF Bridge Closeout Dinner (Photospeak)
Photos from the Dinner hosted by the Policy Development Facility Bridge Programme to mark the end of the programme. The dinner was well attended by Champions of Change from various MDAs, the National Assembly, and the Presidency. Attendance was done within the limits of set COVID-19 regulations.
Diversifying towards non-oil exports in Nigeria
The study ‘Diversification and Non-Oil Export Opportunities for Nigerian States Post-COVID-19’ was commissioned by the NEPC through the Policy Development Facility (PDF) Bridge Programme for use by the public and private sector stakeholders. Ernst & Young conducted a market analysis on six prioritised products from the Zero Oil Initiative and provided strategic recommendations.
PDF Bridge has now developed a policy brief for stakeholders to highlight the key issues and recommendations. The full study can be accessed here.
Tailoring Nigeria’s response to COVID-19
With the global COVID-19 pandemic came the need for local manufacturers to step up to the challenge and produce face masks, face shields, and PPEs due to dwindling supplies caused by high demand the world over. The support provided by government agencies to these entrepreneurs was critical, this in turn was derived from the technical advice supplied by the PDF Bridge programme under the Trade Policy Workstream through dialogues, studies, and roundtable events. The workstream focuses on non-oil exports by bringing underrepresented voices into economic policy and strengthening the participation of exporter groups in trade. The workstream engaged with representatives of Abia State Government during its dialogues particularly with the Director-General of the Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency (ASMQMA). This engagement led to increased capacity and redirection of strategy for the Aba Textile cluster in the production and distribution of finished goods. With help from the State Government’s agency on quality and standardization, Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency (ASMQMA), tailors generated an estimated $4-5million for the Nigerian economy from Abia State alone from the production of PPEs. This created a 110% increase in tailoring personnel.
Enabling Nigerian firms to become export ready
Against a backdrop of falling oil prices, the Nigerian government has woken up to its economic vulnerability to oil-related disruptions. This underscores the need for diversification to non-oil exports. PDF Bridge supported the drive towards growing non-oil export by supporting under-represented non-oil exporters through three strands of work: strengthening Nigeria’s ability to trade beyond its borders through the Network of Practicing Non-Oil Exporters of Nigeria (NPNEN), an export mentorship programme, which links experienced exporters with new and growing export businesses; and training sessions for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) intending to export non-oil goods were held on; Market Entry Strategies, Understanding export documentation, Raising Finance for Export, Branding, and packaging for export. In addition, Roundtables were held on;
MSME Aggregation and Growth Study
Micro Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) are integral to the stimulation of developing economies as exploiting the full capabilities of MSMEs will improve trade competitiveness aimed towards achieving the objectives of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). PDF Bridge Programme recognises the role that MSMEs can play in the implementation of the AfCFTA; and is supporting the National Action Committee of the AfCFTA Secretariat by funding this study.
