The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) took its promotional mandate to another level at a highly interactive and engaging outing with a crème of lawyers in the north western part of the country.

On the 4th December, 2020, at the cozy Fabs International Hotel, GRA, Zaria the NEPC in collaboration with the Sabon Gari Zaria Lawyers Forum (SGZLF) held a one day workshop/continuing legal education on the role of lawyers in export activities. The workshop was declared opened by the Presiding Judge, High Court of Justice of Kaduna State, Zaria Judicial Division.

In attendance at the workshop numbering over fifty, were judges, practicing lawyers and professors of law drawn from the academia. In his welcome address the Chairman of the Forum, Dr Abubakar Is’haq enjoined the participants to be conscious of the opportunities in their environment and bring sound ethics to bear in the discharge of their duties to their clients. He reminded them that the driving philosophy behind the SGZLF is the professional development of their members and the need to infuse sound ethics in the relationship with clients as the mother NBA has always advised.

He welcomed the partnership between the NEPC and the SGZLF towards professional enhancement of lawyers and the overall need to diversify the Nigerian economy to leverage on the immense endowments of the country. He advised all to take advantage of the benefits of this training and improve themselves. In declaring the event formerly opened, Justice Dabo enjoined the participants to ensure their practice of law in the contemporary world is competitive and knowledge driven. He pointed out the importance of diversification in the practice of law and certainly export business is one area. Mr Ben Achor Esq the lead resource person from NEPC educated the participants on the activities lawyers can undertake in the export business to make the market easily accessible and rewarding for exporters.

In his paper, he talked about incentives in the export trade that a lawyer can advise his clients on or take advantage off as an exporter. Properly educated, a lawyer can make a living as export consultant in rendering proper legal advice on export processes or drafting necessary and important legal documents on export transactions. He directed the participants to the website of the NEPC for more information. He took the listening audience on memory lane on the establishment of the NEPC, functions and management of the Council and the giant strides the Council has attained over the years in the discharge of its mandate. Though very rewarding to the individual business man as exporter, export activities can be tricky for the unwary, hence the need for proper guide in advising clients and the importance of engagement with NEPC for proper guide on current regulations, the market for export and the processes.

He invited the participants to visit the NEPC website and feel free to advance their suggestions for improvement in the area of the mandate of the Council or even amendment to the enabling law of the NEPC. There was a flurry of questions and answers bothering on how lawyers can fit into the export trade activities. A good number of the participants sought to know how they can obtain very current information on export regulation to be in a position to properly encourage and advise their clients. The members suggested that more information be displayed on the NEPC website and requested for more of this kind of fruitful interaction.

In appreciation, the SGZLF presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the Council through the resource person Ben Achor Esq and Mrs. Amina Ibrahim. The participants received their certificate of attendance.

Speaking after the workshop, Mr. Mamuda Suleiman Shehu, Esq. and a group of young lawyers who attended the workshop thanked the organisers of the programme and vowed to leverage on the immense opportunity this training has offered them.