FG Considers Import Restrictions against Dumping Ground Syndrome

• To protect SMEs from negative trade practices

Gboyega Akinsanmi

The federal government thursday said it would impose import restrictions to protect Nigeria from becoming a dumping ground for goods and products from other countries.

It, also, said it had started putting in place concerted efforts aimed at checking negative trade practices and protecting the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, revealed the plans after meeting the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode and some members of the State Executive Council (SEC) at the State House, Alausa yesterday.

At a session with journalists, the minister described Lagos State as a true model of the vision of improving on the ease of doing business and turning Nigeria into one of the easiest and most attractive places for investors in the world.

He said Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial capital, “stands in a vantage position to drive the goal of government to improve World Bank ranking of Nigeria on the ease of doing business.

“We have been talking about creating enabling environment for investments and ease of doing business. These are the two areas where we have convergence with Lagos State Government.

“We have been discussing how to collaborate very strongly to make Lagos State a true role model in line with our vision of making Nigeria one of the easiest and most attractive places to do business.

“There is no better place to start than Lagos State, particularly when you have a governor who is committed to it and as he puts it to us, it is like preaching to the converted,” he said.

He noted that the two governments had agreed on modalities on working together “to achieve the targets that we have set for ourselves both in ease of doing business ranking of the World Bank. For instance, we have identified tourism.”

The minister, therefore, assured that the federal government “will not hesitate to impose import restrictions where necessary to avoid Nigeria from being a dumping ground.”

He, also, noted that concerted efforts “will be put in place to reverse and check negative trade practices, especially for the benefit of the SMEs.”

Also at the session, the governor recalled that in the last few months, the state government had been engaging the business community on ease of doing business.

He said that the meeting with officials of the federal government was in sync with the vision of his administration to achieve the very best in driving investment.

He explained what had been happening in the last two years, noting that his administration “has tried as much as possible to provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in Lagos.”

The governor lamented that the indices indicated that the country “has not really improved on the ease of doing business. The indices are not really looking too good.

“If 70 per cent of businesses are actually coming from Lagos State, there is a need for us to quickly create a convergence between the federal government and the state government to ensure that we improve the business environment,” he said.