Why you should think about wow to Export Foodstuffs From Nigeria To Abroad. The devaluation of Naira as a result of the fall in oil price together with other economic variables has offered a favorable environment for exporters of foodstuffs in terms of the profit made. As an aspiring entrepreneur who wants to go into foodstuff exportation business, make sure you have the keen interest in the food business and possess a great deal of passion for it as it’s a prerequisite factor that determines your success.

The opportunities in this sector are huge just as in importation, reasons being that the number of Nigerians who travel out of the country increases on daily basis.

Below is a fact got from a forum blogger in the course of our research that shows how profitable this business can be.

“I’ve been looking into exporting foodstuff from Nigeria to UK (perhaps London more particularly as I live in London). I have noticed a growing market for our yams, palm oil, Garry, Golden morn, Milo, sardines, geisha and much other local foodstuffs. Jeez, some of these foods have even hit Tesco! I don’t want to own an African food store. My interest is in supplying existing stores with food from Nigeria. I thought of this business idea as a way for me to travel between UK and Nigeria as I have family in both countries. So I can see both parties regularly

I thought of this business idea as a way for me to travel between UK and Nigeria as I have family in both countries. So I can see both parties regularly”

Some people charge as much as fifteen to twenty thousand nairas to offer just training on how to export foodstuff without connecting you with any buyers of the foodstuffs.

A -Z ON HOW TO START EXPORTATION FROM NIGERIA

One of the best ways to start this business is to acquire the knowledge on how domestic foodstuff business works, don’t just jump into foodstuff exportation with only the training gotten from seminars. That may not be enough. Moreover, if you start with domestic foodstuff store and marketing, negative changes in the international market or exchange rates would not have much effect on you financially and psychologically.

BELOW ARE THE STEPS TO START FOOD EXPORTATION:

Acquire training (attend seminars, join forums, read journals etc.)
Get the necessary documents
Decide on the product to export
Register your business or use a registered cooperative society name
Package your product to international standards
Look for clients

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR COMMERCIAL EXPORT (NXP) GOODS FROM NIGERIA

As someone who wants to go into full-time foodstuff exportation or any other processed or unprocessed stuff, you need to get the below-listed documents. But for someone who wants to start small, you may not need to go through all this initial rigorous process but you should have someone who will receive your goods overseas.

• Completed NXP forms (six copies)
• Certificate of Incorporation.
• Proforma Invoice
• Letter of Credit
• NEPC Registration Certificate
• To get your goods certified for export, follow this link:

REVISE DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR EXPORT TRANSACTION

• Bill of lading
• Certificate of origin
• Commercial invoice
• Single goods declaration (SGD)
• Nigeria export proceeds (NXP) form
• Clean certificate of inspection (CCI)
• Packing list

Documents are to be presented after shipment. Documentation requirements for FORM M and NXP processing remain the same and lastly, the time frame for export processing has been reduced to 48hrs which also depends on the readiness of all your documentation.

THINGS TO EXPORT (CAN BE SOURCED IN ANY LOCAL MARKET IN NIGERIA)

Plantain, Plantain flour, Ogbono, Yam Flour, Snail, Vegetable-Ugwu, Water Leaves, Bitter Leaves, Bitter Kola, Kola Nut, Pea Nuts, Okoro, Locust Brown Beans, White Beans, Ground Beans, Dried Prawns, Garry, Avacado, Dry Fish, Melon, Pepper-ground, Pepper-fresh/frozen, Pepper-small spicy, Habanero Pepper, Black Pepper, Pepper-bulb (tatashe), etc

5 ways to start foodstuff exportation

CHALLENGES

Some of the challenges faced by Nigerians foodstuff exporters are:

• Stringent Sanitary and PhytoSanitary (SPS) requirements.
• The high cost of exportation and poor trade facilitation system,
• Difficulty in accessing finance and credit facilities by new exporters.
• Lack of adequate training and modern equipment in processing value-added agricultural products.
• Lack of basic information about doing business in the US market coupled with laziness on the side of an entrepreneur to read and explore useful information
• Most importantly, Packaging and labeling.

Nigerians who are ready to start this business should keep themselves informed with current information on documentation both at home and abroad. There is a need for more exporters as few Nigerians who are currently in foodstuff exportation sector cannot meet the demand of millions of yearning Africans in US and UK.

This is a special invitation to the Nigeria multi-billion Naira foodstuff exportation industry.

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By Ozoemena O. Charles
Digital Marketing Consultant/CMO at Zuma Marketing Limited
and Publisher at SMEsmedia.com

Zuma Marketing is a contemporary company that deals in audio-visual products and integration, modern teaching aids and educational resources. Since 2012, ZML has provided thousands of clients with reliable and cost-efficient technology solutions for their collaboration, presentation, and Educational needs.

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