WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/23 
13 August 2010 
 
 (10-4328) 
Committee on Trade and Development 
Sixteenth Session on Aid for Trade Original:   English 
 
 
 
NIGERIA'S TRADE AND PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY REFORM 
 
Statement by H.E. Mr. Yonov Frederijk Agah (Nigeria)  
 
Sixteenth Session on Aid for Trade - Item 2.B(IV)  
 
 
1. I wish to thank you and the WTO Secretariat fo r providing my delegation with this veritable 
opportunity to share with Members, Nigeria's expe rience relating to the United Nations Development 
Programme (UNDP) technical assistance on the pr oposed Trade and Productive Capacity Reform 
Programme.  To that end, I am happy to report th at the Government of the Federal Republic of 
Nigeria, in 2009, initiated a formal request to  UNDP for technical assistance on trade and productive 
capacity in Nigeria, within the framework of th e Chief Executive Board (CEB) Inter-Agency Cluster 
on Trade and Productive Capacity.   
2. The overall objective of the project is to assist in repositioning the role of trade policy in 
Nigeria's economic development strategies, pa rticularly the 7-Point Agenda, the National 
Development Plan and the Vision 2020. The assistance is further expected to build on and deepen the 
second United Nations Development Assistance Fr amework (UNDAF II) for Nigeria, 2009-2012. 
3. Given the comprehensive and long-term natu re of the objectives of the programme, the 
request by the Government of Nigeria had focused on seven categories of activities:  
(i) trade policy advocacy , comprising the sensitisation of the political leadership 
and increasing public awareness on trade policy and its impact on development, particularly issues rela ting to the MDGs and mainstreaming 
trade in national and regional deve lopment and competitiveness strategies; 
(ii) trade policy development
 with emphasis on trade policy research and impact 
assessment studies, trade information system and statistics, competition 
policy, business sector and civil society participation in trade policy issues, 
market analysis and trade information, and trade promotion capacity building; 
(iii) enhancing the competitiveness of supply capacity
 with respect to value 
chains and technology upgrading, clus ter development, quality management 
and infrastructure, labelling and pack aging, business networking, production 
infrastructure and capabilities, rural linkages, industrial policy, FDI and 
investment climate development,  and private sector development; 
(iv) compliance support infrastructure and services , targeting conformity and 
compliance with TBT,SPS, standards and technical regulations, inspection 
and certification, quality assurance and consumer protection; WT/COMTD/AFT/W/23 
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  (v) physical trade infrastructure
 with emphasis on transport and transport–related 
issues such as road, air and maritime transport, transport security, cargo 
tracking systems, transit trade and logist ics, ICT infrastructure for trade, etc; 
(vi) legal and regulatory framework  in relation to bila teral, regional and 
multilateral trade opportunities and obligations in respect of trade 
negotiations and trade diplomacy, impl ementation and enforcement of trade 
agreements, intellectual property rights protection, consumer protection and 
environment policy; and 
(vii) trade facilitation and trade-related financial services  aimed at ensuring 
smooth and effective import and expor t procedures relating to customs and 
ports clearance, access to trade finance, border management and performance 
monitoring systems, rules of origin, trade documentation, tariff development 
reform and negotiations. 
4. As a result of that request, the UNDP fielded a scoping mission to Nigeria from 8-
12 February 2010.  The main purpose of the mission was to consider how best UNDP can support the 
Government of Nigeria and in particular, the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in 
operationalising the proposed programme with a view  to strengthening trade and productive capacity 
in the non-oil sector, within the framework of a na tional strategy that would enable Nigeria fully 
benefit from the Aid for Trade Initiative. 
5. After various meetings with the UNDP country office in Abuja, the Federal Ministries of 
Commerce and Industry, and Finance as well as representatives of sectoral Ministries, Departments, 
private sector, civil society and the donor communi ty, the mission re-examined the seven categories 
of activities covered in the request; and has now identified three pillars around which the proposed 
trade and productive capacity reform programme coul d be structured, with a view to providing the 
basis for an aid for trade support strategy.  The three areas to be covered are as follows: 
(i) Mainstreaming trade into national development strategies, primarily the 
Vision 2020 and the medium-term 2011-201 5 national development plan that 
is under preparation; strengthening trade policy governance, including inter-ministerial or inter-sectoral processes for trade policy coordination and parliamentary processes for trade policy oversight; and mainstreaming trade in the support strategies and progr ammes of the main bilateral and 
multilateral development partners, in cluding the United Nations System 
through the UNDAF II. 
(ii) Enhancing trade competitiveness  through, among other issues, addressing 
the problem of supply-side constraints and productivity issues in the non-oil sector; development and implementation of measures to enhance productivity 
and graduation from low to high value products; and to change the incentive 
structure to support production. Paying special attention to SMEs is 
particularly important in this context. 
(iii) Institutional and human resource capacity development  in the Federal 
Ministry of Commerce and Industry and across government, including in the context of its partnerships with the private sector and civil society, in order to support responsive and responsible trade policy governance. 
6. It is expected that the new focus on the above th ree pillars will make the approach to the trade 
and productive capacity reform programme in Nige ria more manageable. Nevertheless, it is further  WT/COMTD/AFT/W/23 
 Page 3 
 
 
  recognised that more work would be necessary to el aborate on the three pillars more fully; and to 
provide a roadmap for undertaking the required re forms with a proper sequencing of the core 
activities and actions. Key follow-up activities would therefore involve the appointment of a Chief 
Technical Adviser (CTA) for the programme; the preparation of a roadmap by the CTA, detailing the activities involved in the three pillars, the timeframe  and cost of implementation; as well as a resource 
mobilisation strategy. 
7. Taking into account the importance of th e Trade and Productive Capacity Reform 
Programme, the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry is presently following up with the UNDP 
Office in Abuja and other development partners, in  order to expeditiously launch the programme, 
including the appointment of the CTA under the Honourable Minister's Office. The need to fully bring 
on board the National Planning Commission (NPC) a nd Federal Ministry of Finance, who are the 
main interlocutors of the UNDP at the national level, has also been recognised. 
8. In conclusion, there is no doubt that the Tr ade and Productive Capacity Reform Programme 
would greatly assist the Government of Nigeria and,  in particular the Federal Ministry of Commerce 
and Industry, to build and deepen the role of trade policy in the current UNDAF II.  Since the 
UNDAF II has been largely anchored  on the 7-Point Agenda, the National Development Plan and the 
Vision 2020, the Ministry would also be significantly responding directly to the challenge by President Goodluck Jonathan to MDAs regarding im proved performance.  I wish, therefore, on behalf 
of the Government of the Federal Republic of Ni geria, to express our deep appreciation to UNDP for 
its cooperation and support on this  very important programme. My delegation would also wish to 
seize this opportunity to appeal to Members and ot her development partners to join the UNDP in 
assisting Nigeria to successfully implement this vita l development-oriented project, especially through 
the mobilisation and provision of substan tial technical and financial resources. 
   
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