US embassy cable - 02ABUJA2200

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 002200 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE PASS TO USTR: USTR FOR WHITAKER AND COLEMAN; 
STATE FOR AF/PD, AF/W, AF/RA, AF/EB, IIP/G/AF, 
IIP/T/ES (CHRISTISON), PA/PI/OBS/P 
LAGOS FOR PAS, ECON, FCS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, KPAO, OIIP, SCUL, NI, AGOA 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: KEY ELITES WORK TOGETHER TO 
OVERCOME AGOA FAILURES 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY: The Public Affairs Section and the 
Foreign Commercial Service of the U.S. Mission in 
Nigeria organized two one-day seminars, June 19-20, 
in Abuja focusing on the Africa Growth and 
Opportunity Act (AGOA).  The seminars, "AGOA: 
Participating in Trade," and "Public-Private 
Partnership for Success with AGOA," featured PD- 
provided speaker Dr. Sharon Freeman with Fred 
Oladeinde and Gregory Simpkins of the Washington- 
based Foundation for Democracy in Africa and Embassy 
Counselor for Commercial Affairs Miguel Pardo de 
Zela.  The interaction of the speakers with the 
audience, and the audience with itself, created a 
positive dynamic and led to pledges of follow-up 
between the GON and private sector.  Audience 
participation included seven Senators from the 
Committee on Economic Affairs; senior officials of 
the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Investment 
Promotion Council (NIPC), and Nigerian Export 
Promotion Council (NEPC); officials from Ministries 
of Commerce and Industries at state and federal 
levels, and leading industrialists and textile 
industry representatives from Kano and Kaduna.  The 
seminars also promoted AGOA-related activities 
including the July 11-12 Seminar in Accra, Ghana. 
End Summary. 
 
 
GPRA Data: 
 
 
2.  DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: More than 140 
policymakers and key players in the Nigerian 
manufacturing sector participated in the two days of 
seminars.  The key speaker for the two sessions, Dr. 
Sharon Freeman, described AGOA and explained its 
potential to enhance growth and productivity.  Dr. 
Freeman said the failure to date to implement 
textile visas and trans-shipment laws, and poor 
infrastructure, had prevented Nigeria from realizing 
significant benefits from AGOA.  She encouraged the 
private and public sector participants to express 
their own concerns, and suggested possible remedies 
based on her experience promoting the Caribbean 
Basin Initiative in the 1980s. Oladeinde and 
Simpkins addressed the need for public-private 
sector interaction.  Pardo de Zela discussed the 
inevitability of globalization, the need for 
Nigerian enterprises to proactively seek out and use 
available information and sources of credit, and 
described how the Foreign Commercial Service could 
assist businesses wishing to export to the U.S. 
 
 
3.  JUSTIFICATION AND OBJECTIVE: During the two 
years since AGOA became law, Nigeria has made little 
progress in increasing exports to the U.S. 
Macroeconomic policies which hamper exports, a lack 
of commitment by the business community, and poor 
infrastructure are among the obstacles to using AGOA 
to create an alternative to petroleum as a source of 
export earnings.  These seminars brought key 
individuals and institutions together to see how 
these problems might be addressed. 
 
 
4.  DATE: June 19-20, 2002, FY 2002, third quarter 
 
 
5. MPP UMBRELLA THEME AND AUDIENCE REACHED: Economic 
Development.  Over 140 contacts drawn from relevant 
Nigerian institutions, including officials of the 
Ministry of Commerce, Nigerian Export Promotion 
Council, Nigerian Investment Promotion Council, 
NEXIM Bank, Nigerian Customs Service, elected 
officials including several national legislators and 
state governors or their representatives, and 
private sector representatives from chambers of 
commerce, major textile manufacturers, exporters, 
and non-governmental organizations engaged in 
manufacturing attended the seminar.  Regular viewers 
of Nigeria's national television, estimated to be 
several million, and those who read newspapers, were 
also part of the audience reached with the AGOA 
message. 
 
 
6. NON-USG SUPPORT: None 
 
 
7. USG SUPPORT: Excellent.  Post appreciates 
Washington's support in making Dr. Freeman 
available.  The Foreign Commercial Service was also 
of great assistance, as was USAID, which sponsored 
Oladeinde and Simpkins and his group in their trip 
to Nigeria.  Freeman is an articulate speaker.  At 
Post request, she modified her presentation to 
promote greater dialogue among the participants. Her 
experience in working with Central America gave her 
the authority to convince the audience that they 
could overcome similar problems facing their export 
sector. 
 
 
8. MEDIA REACTION: Dr. Freeman gave a 45-minute 
interview to Rhythm Radio, Abuja.  The national TV 
network, NTA, gave her a 60-second soundbite. 
Lagos-based Vanguard, one of Nigeria's leading 
papers, particularly among business readers, ran a 
three-quarter-page interview with Dr. Freeman. 
Jeter