By Elizabeth Adegbesan

The  Federal Government (FG) has allocated two additional crude oil export terminals to Swede Control Intertek Limited, one of the country’s pre-shipment inspection agents.

The approval was announced in a statement signed by the Director of Trade and Exchange Department at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Aderinola Shonekan.

According to the apex bank, the newly assigned terminals are the Cawthorne and Okwok terminals.

The CBN stated: “This is to notify all Authorised Dealer Banks, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, all terminal operators, all oil and gas companies, and the general public of the Federal Government’s allocation of additional crude oil terminals to Swede Control Intertek Limited, as follows: Cawthorne Terminal and Okwok Terminal.”

The latest allocation expands Swede Control Intertek’s role in the monitoring and certification of Nigeria’s crude oil exports.

The development follows the CBN’s restructuring of terminal allocations among pre-shipment inspection agents in April 2025. The exercise was aimed at improving operational efficiency, strengthening oversight, and enhancing transparency in Nigeria’s crude oil export process.

Under the 2025 restructuring, Swede Control Intertek Limited was assigned the Ima (Otakikpo), ERHA and Aarca terminals.

Other allocations included Nembe Terminal to Neroh Technologies Limited; Isan, Enna and Yoho terminals to Holborn Oil and Gas International Limited; and Tunu, Antan and Odudu terminals to Felton Energy & Investment Limited, among others.

The addition of the Cawthorne and Okwok terminals further strengthens Swede Control Intertek’s portfolio within Nigeria’s cru

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By Cynthia Alo

The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON, has warned that Nigeria may fail to reap the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, despite the Federal Government’s approval of a proposed $1 billion credit facility aimed at supporting exporters and businesses.

The association said that although access to finance is important, funding alone cannot solve the challenges undermining the competitiveness of Nigerian products in African markets.

In a statement yesterday, National President of APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, noted that poor infrastructure, high production costs, multiple taxes, foreign exchange difficulties, excessive port charges and cumbersome export procedures are making it difficult for manufacturers and exporters to compete with their counterparts across the continent.

He said unless these obstacles are removed, Nigeria risks becoming a destination for goods produced by other African countries instead of emerging as a major exporter under the continental trade agreement.

The group, however, commended the Federal Government for approving the proposed facility, describing it as a positive step towards helping businesses tap opportunities created by AfCFTA, but insisted that the country must first address structural problems affecting trade and production before committing huge resources to financing programmes.

Ogunojemite said: “While access to finance is important, funding alone cannot solve the fundamental challenges affecting Nigerian businesses. Before providing large-scale AfCFTA credit support, government must first create an enabling environment that allows local industries to compete effectively with their counterparts across Africa.”

He noted that many manufacturers and small and medium-scale enterprises are already battling harsh operating conditions and may be unable to benefit from the credit scheme if the business environment remains unfriendly.

According to him, several factors that hindered the success of previous trade agreements in Africa have remained unresolved.

These, he said, include inadequate power supply, poor transport infrastructure, foreign exchange constraints, multiple taxation, high port charges and regulatory bottlenecks.

To enable Nigerian businesses to take full advantage of AfCFTA opportunities, the association urged the government to reduce port charges and eliminate unnecessary trade barriers.

He also called for full implementation of the National Single Window project, improvement in road, rail, port and border infrastructure, as well as simplification of export documentation and cargo clearance procedures.

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By Rosemary Iwunze

Leadway Assurance Company Limited has sustained its support for the growth of Nigeria’s creative industry, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with the sponsorship of the largest leather exhibition in Nigeria, the Lagos Leather Fair (LLF), for the fourth consecutive year.

The Lagos Leather Fair, now in its ninth edition, is set to hold on June 27 and 28, 2026, at the EPAC Center, Victoria Island, Lagos, under the theme “Beyond the Hide: Scaling Value, Building Industry, Driving Growth,”.

This edition will focus on strengthening Africa’s creative and craftsmanship industry and accelerating value creation across the manufacturing chain, a direction that aligns with Leadway’s corporate ethos.

Additionally, Leadway’s support reflects the group’s broader vision of enabling business resilience and sustainable growth for Nigerian enterprises, particularly by advancing Nigeria’s leather and creative manufacturing ecosystem, which has been instrumental in fostering Nigeria’s global soft power and actualising the country’s export potential.

Commenting on behalf of Leadway Group on Lagos Leather Fair, MD/CEO, Leadway Pensure, Olusakin Labeodan, said: “SMEs are the critical drivers of Nigeria’s economic growth, innovation, and generational wealth creation. The leather industry provides huge opportunities for our young entrepreneurs and creative minds to be part of a vibrant, resilient and incrementally growing value retention economy, and this aligns strongly with Leadway’s commitment to enabling sustainable enterprise growth on the continent.”

According to a 2025 UNIDO report, Nigeria processes over 750,000 metric tonnes of raw hides and skins annually, much of which is exported as low-value raw material, highlighting a significant opportunity for value retention and industrial development within the sector. 

“It is within ecosystems such as this, where the potential for transformation is high, that Leadway continues to deepen its engagement and support,” he further stated.

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