The UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) presents Nigerian exporters with a golden opportunity to expand their global presence, with zero or reduced tariffs on thousands of products.
Experts are urging Nigerian businesses and exporters to seize the opportunity to boost the country’s exports and strengthen its position in the global market.
The experts made the call at a workshop organised by the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, in collaboration with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, recently in Lagos, to sensitise businesses and exporters on standards and requirements to export agrifoods to the United Kingdom.
Mujina Kaindama, the United Kingdom’s head of trade policy and market access for Nigeria, said DCTS was created to make trading in the United Kingdom fairer and more inclusive for developing countries.
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Kaindama said that DCTS differed from the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) because it had fewer restrictions and simpler requirements.
She noted that the UK wants to make sure the DCTS is not just a policy but something people practically use, noting that the scheme is also designed to drive value addition in the country and promote intra-African trade.
According to her, it is made in a way that allows sourcing from within and around Africa while still qualifying goods for tariff-free access to the United Kingdom.
She said the United Kingdom is working with various Nigerian regulatory agencies, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to ensure that products meet the required standards.
Jasmine Dirie, head of the DCTS at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in her presentation, said the scheme has impacted 3.3 billion people across 65 countries, exporting over £28 billion worth of goods to the United Kingdom yearly.
Dirie said the DCTS supported three key objectives that were promoting sustainable growth in developing countries, strengthening global supply chains, and improving consumer choice through better quality and pricing.
According to her, Nigeria, alongside Algeria and Sri Lanka, enjoy enhanced preference, with at least 92 per cent of products being duty-free.
In his welcome remarks, Nura Abba Rimi, permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, said the DCTS initiative underscored the shared commitment between both countries to deepen bilateral trade and cooperation.
Rimi, who was represented by Gertrude Orji, a director at the ministry, the United Kingdom is currently the third largest investor in Nigeria, while Nigeria is the second largest destination for UK investment in Africa.
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He noted that the DCTS is coming at a critical time when Nigeria is intensifying efforts to diversify its export base beyond oil and strengthen its participation in global value chains.
He, however, emphasised the importance of understanding trade rules to maximise benefits from the scheme.
“Stakeholders must have a clear understanding of the rules of origin, documentation requirements, product standards, and trade facilitation measures under the scheme,” the permanent secretary said.
He added that the workshop was essential for bridging information gaps, strengthening institutional coordination, and enhancing the competitiveness of Nigerian exports in the United Kingdom market.
The DCTS was launched in June 2023, is designed to make trading with the United Kingdom easier, more accessible and profitable for fast-growing developing countries, including Nigeria.
