Airline Services & Logistics plans to export Nigerian foods at NEPZA expo

Businessday 20 September 2011 Page 16

Airline Services & Logistics plc, a leading airline catering company has disclosed plans to produce Nigerian foodstuffs for export through a new dedicated shop at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The announcement was made at the Free Trade Zone Conference and Exhibition (FTZ Nigeria 2011) in Lagos recently

The initiative will package Nigerian delicacies into easily exportable packages, allowing Nigerians to take their favourite products away with them easily and conveniently as well as allowing tourists to share local delicacies with friends and family at home.

Speaking at the FTZ conference and exhibition, Richard Akerele, CEO of ASL said "Nigerian food is one of our greatest cultural assets and this initiative is designed to make it easier for Nigerians to take their favourite foodstuffs away with them. Nigeria must significantly increase its non-oil export base over the coming years in order to successfully diversify our economy and food can play a major role in this process, especially as agriculture is one of our fastest growing sectors. That's why we are establishing this shop and why we are actively working to expand the number of export processing zones in Nigeria from Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt to airports across the nation"

The Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority, NEPZA exhibition was held to showcase the opportunities available to Nigerian companies through the free trade zones. There are currently 24 free trade zones in Nigeria, with only 15 operational. The first was established in Calabar in 1993, and there are over 70 companies currently trading through it.

Also speaking at the conference, Sina Agboluaje, CEO NEPZA, said” Free Trade Zones are a tried and trusted catalyst for sustainable economic development and will form a key part of our strategy for increasing trade and investment in Nigeria as well as promoting exports”