Nigerian experts have called on the country to "shake up" its productive systems as it seeks to build up a more competitive export trade.
China's latest tariff exemptions apply to agricultural and industrial exports from countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Africa. As one of China's largest African trading partners, Nigeria is seeking similar exemptions to boost its exports, but some in the country believe there are better ways.
Charles Onunaiyu, the director of the Center for China Studies in Nigeria, argued that Nigeria needs to re-examine its narrow pursuit of preferential trade policies and instead build up the quality of its export offerings.
"While our government are asking for more, let them bear in mind that what would give us a market share in China's huge market is not necessarily the concessional assets. It is what we bring to the market. Are we doing the right thing to bring the best quality to the market? That is the most important question," said Onunaiyu.
Nigeria's trade balance with China remains uneven, with exports largely consisting of raw materials while finished goods dominate imports.
Economists said that while China provides trade opportunities, Nigerian exporters face significant challenges in this competitive market. Unlike other African countries that have diversified their exports, Nigeria continues to rely heavily on raw materials.
"The openings that China gives to Nigeria is mostly in the agriculture sector, mostly in the area of raw materials. So I think we have not been able to sufficiently tap into those opportunities that China has opened, largely because those opportunities that China has opened are highly competitive areas," said Mustapha Hauwa, a development economist.
China's trade environment is highly competitive, making it difficult for Nigerian exports to gain a foothold against stronger rivals.
Experts highlighted structural barriers that hinder Nigeria's access to global markets and emphasized that Nigeria's trade strategy should focus on improving domestic production capacity rather than relying solely on exemptions.
"Look at the failure, the embarrassment we had with exporting our yams for instance. You will produce yams the same way, the same yam that we produce in Enugu, and it's exported to Maiduguri or Kano for internal consumption. It is what we assume we can package for external, for foreign markets. It doesn't work like that," said Hauwa.
"We need to shake up our system. We need to shake it up to be responsive to some of these opportunities. So to me, it's not about how much we have, as how much the number of goods we have enter the assets to this market. It is how we are managing our domestic process to fully engage these opportunities," said Onunaiyu.
The experts added that Nigeria must focus on industrialization, enforce trade reciprocity, and adopt stronger negotiation tactics to secure better deals. Without these fundamental changes, gaining tariff exemptions may not be enough to close the huge trade gap with China.
Experts urge Nigeria to enhance competitiveness to access China's market
