By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Leadership and Entrepreneurship Advocacy (LEAD) Network, a non-governmental organisation, has urged Nigerians to increase productive capacity to take advantage of flourishing international trade, which the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regulates.

The Executive Director of LEAD Network, Mr. Chukwuma Okenwa, made the call while speaking to newsmen on Tuesday in Enugu on the import of former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s emergence as Director-General of WTO.

Okenwa commended Okonjo-iweala for her emergence and breaking the record of being the first-ever female and African DG of WTO, adding: “For Nigeria, we need to do more to benefit from her position.”

He said that the emergence of Okonjo-Iweala would benefit the country and individual Nigerians “if we can step-up our productive capacity at home and increase our goods and services visibility international.

“A situation where international vessels and ships come to our seaports to bring in goods and they leave our seaports to other ports or the port of their initial original take-off `very empty’ shows that we are not filling our quota internationally.

“The empty ships and vessels leaving our international seaports; should leave well packed with our local products bound for other countries and some other international market.

“There is a need for us to be a nation of export to get our fair share in international trade diplomacy; which gains worth trillions of dollars yearly.

“Thank God for petroleum and its accruing benefit; but is not enough for a country as populated as Nigeria and with great taste for innovation and trendy materials,” he said.

The LEAD Network boss also tasked Nigerians and the Nigerian government on respect for international agreement to gain the trust of international partners as well as make the work of Okonjo-Iweala simpler.

“There is a need to abide with international standard and specification in order to check goods rejection and breach of international trade agreement,” he said.

Okenwa, however, said that Okonjo-iweala’s emergence “is good development and welcomed progress,” adding that “she is over qualified for the job and I am happy the world had come to terms with that.”

He said that it was consistency of global goals of bridging the gender gap and allowing women to fully participate in all developmental efforts, adding that the board of directors of the WTO should be commended for this.

The LEAD Network boss also urged the Nigerian government to improve its trade diplomacy and reach; thus, leveraging on the positive credibility and visibility Okonjo-Iweala had earned for the country.

“I believe it will not be long Nigeria and Nigerians will start to enjoy the benefit of having a Nigerian as D-G WTO; if Nigerians are ready to work hard for it,” he said.

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