Nigeria’s export ambitions received a major boost on Thursday with the public unveiling of the third phase of the UK-Nigeria Standards Partnership Programme, a technical cooperation deal aimed at eliminating trade barriers, enhancing product competitiveness, and increasing market access, particularly for Nigerian exports into the United Kingdom.

The programme, a joint effort with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, brought together Nigerian enterprises and government stakeholders to enhance international trade and boost market growth.

This was as it was revealed that no fewer than 3,500 Nigerian products enjoy zero tariff import duties to the UK, via the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme, a game-changer for local manufacturers, agribusinesses, and SMEs seeking entry into premium international markets.

The event organised by the Standards Partnership aims to deepen technical cooperation with the National Quality Council, facilitate the implementation of Nigeria’s National Quality Policy, and strengthen the institutional capacity of both the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Accreditation.

It builds on the improving trade relationship between both countries, amidst a growing number of British businesses’ investment interest in Nigeria and other African countries, drawn by the continent’s abundant mineral resources.

The programme, which officially launched in 2023, in 11 countries and island regions, including Nigeria, aims to enhance trade and boost sustainable and inclusive growth through the use of international standards.

Speaking in his welcome address, the Chairman and Chief Executive of the NQC, Ostia Aboloma, said the partnership is a turning point for Nigeria’s trade ecosystem, offering a strategic pathway to elevate the country’s export readiness.

He said this would, in turn, boost trade between the two countries by facilitating smooth import and export processes, while also significantly contributing to economic growth, job creation, and improved social welfare.

He said, “The Standards Partnership Programme is being undertaken between the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office on behalf of the UK Government and the National Quality Council on behalf of Nigeria and is being implemented by the British Standards Institution.

“The Programme is targeted at supporting Nigeria through the NQC and the Arrowhead in the implementation of contemporary national quality policy, thus strengthening the national quality infrastructure pillars, namely standards, conformity assessment, metrology and accreditation towards greater efficiency and sustainability.

“This, without doubt, will enhance trading activities between the two countries via seamless import and export, as well as contribute immensely to economic development, job creation and social welfare.”

The UK High Commission’s Trade Market Access Lead, Simeon Umukoro, said the programme’s most remarkable achievement has been the institutionalization of metrology, the science of measurement, as a vital tool for trade competitiveness.

He added that the Standards Partnership is directly linked to the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership signed in 2023, which identified regulatory cooperation and standards alignment as crucial to unlocking bilateral trade potential.

“The work we are doing under the Standards Partnership Programme directly supports our enhanced trade and investment partnership that was signed between the UK and Nigeria in 2023. The NWU identified standards and regulatory dialogue as a key pillar for expanding bilateral trade and removing behind-the-border restrictions against foreign trade.

“This alignment enables Nigerian goods to meet international expectations, boosting competitiveness, reducing rejections and allowing them to play a stronger role in the AFCFT and UK markets. Especially in the utilisation of the developing countries’ trading scheme, with up to zero tariff reduction for over 3,500 commodities imported from Nigeria into the UK market.

“In my 12 years of exploration around the subject of quality infrastructure, the one uncommon and striking development brought about by the Standards Partnership Programme in the UK-Nigeria trade relationship is the institutionalisation of metrology as a strategic trade tool.

“For the first time in Nigeria’s trade history, metrology is no longer a backroom technical affair but a co-enabler of market access. It’s a diplomatic lever to align Nigerian products with international measurement standards, and that drastically reduces rejection of our goods in foreign markets,” Umukoro said.

Team Lead of the British Standards Institution, Mike Pete, said Nigeria is setting the pace in Africa, noting that the country is among the few with a National Quality Council backed by presidential authority, a move he described as “rare and commendable.”

“You’re already taking it to the next level. Most African countries don’t have this kind of high-level institutional framework,” Pete said. Nigeria is not only reforming at home but also offering global lessons in quality infrastructure development. The work being done here will shape how quality policies are implemented across Africa under the AfCFTA Quality Infrastructure Framework,” he added.

Pete recounted how a UN-led project in Vienna identified the need for sector-specific, market-driven quality infrastructure approaches, an insight now being applied in Nigeria.

He praised the country’s focus on key export sectors, particularly the leather value chain, where local stakeholders and experts are working with NQC to plug infrastructure gaps.

So far, the programme has delivered a range of interventions, including, “Technical training and capacity building for NQC and SON staff, Legal support for the proposed National Quality Council Bill, Support for NiNAS in AFRAC peer evaluation and laboratory sustainability, Pilot programmes in value chains such as leather and agri-processing, aimed at aligning standards with market needs.

The BSI is also supporting SON with ISO software implementation and marketing strategy development, according to officials.

“We have seen too many laboratories filled with broken or uncalibrated equipment. This programme is helping to ensure sustainability, reliability and trust in our certification and inspection services,” Pete said.

Stakeholders at the event, including public agencies, private sector players, and development partners, agreed that the Standards Partnership is not an end in itself, but a platform for broader reforms.

“Together, we are laying the foundation for a future where standards, trust, and compliance become enablers of trade, not obstacles,” Umukoro stressed.

The event concluded with a panel session featuring key players in Nigeria’s quality infrastructure community, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Accreditation System, who shared experiences on programme implementation and the way forward.

As Nigeria eyes greater participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area and increased exports to Europe, officials say strengthening the country’s standards architecture is critical.

“Without a strong quality infrastructure, there can be no real access to global markets. We are fully committed to ensuring Nigeria’s products compete and win on the global stage,” Aboloma affirmed. (The PUNCH)

• PHOTO: A group picture of participants and stakeholders at the public unveiling of the third phase of the UK-Nigeria Standards Partnership Programme on Thursday in Abuja. CREDIT: BSI