Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari when he toured Brookside Dairy’s plant in Ruiru on Thursday last week. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE
By GERALD ANDAE, gandae@ke.nationmedia.com
In Summary
Tea and dairy processors are the immediate
beneficiaries of President Muhammadu Buhari’s maiden visit to Kenya
after Nigeria agreed to lift a ban that has locked their products out of
its market for decades.
Long life milk and tea leaves, the two commodities that
Kenya enjoys comparative advantage in producing, are among the 138
products from Africa that the populous nation has banned from its
territory for years.
Last week, the two sides agreed to work on a formula to lift the ban on exports of tea and dairy products.
That decision came after President Buhari lamented
that the two states enjoyed cordial diplomatic relations “yet there has
been no uhuru (freedom)” for traders operating between the two markets.
“The two states agreed to reconsider the decision
by Nigeria banning some of the major Kenyan goods such as tea, dairy
products and cotton from accessing their market,” said Trade secretary
Adan Mohamed.
“Kenya is an open market where Nigeria is allowed
to export all goods without restriction and they should reciprocate the
same,” he added.
Among the long life processors eyeing Nigerian market is the Kenyatta family-owned Brookside Dairy.
Brookside executive chairman Muhoho Kenyatta said
the firm is eyeing the larger Economic Community of West African States
market.
“Having been able to considerably satisfy the East
African market with our products, we are keen in casting our vision and
scope wider by venturing into the West African market,” he said.
A fortnight ago, Mr Kenyatta said he had put a
strong case for Kenya during his visits abroad to expand the market of
tea exports noting that Nigeria had expressed interest in buying Kenyan
beverage.
Mr Mohamed said he would be meeting members of the
private sector in the coming days to discuss 10 critical goods whose ban
should be lifted fast, before embarking on the remaining items.
He said the two states, under their respective
chambers of commerce would form committees, in their ministries of trade
to act as a contact point in fast tracking the implementation of the
signed memorandum of understanding.
“We have agreed to have a unit in Kenya and Nigeria
that will be concerned with facilitating all interactions concerning
trade between these two countries,” he said.
Mr Mohamed said the two committees would come up
with the specific action plans in the next 60 days for implementation of
the signed agreements.
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