By Franklin Alli

THE World Trade Centre (WTO) has opened a Reference Centre in Nigeria for the purpose of e-Training and e-Learning.

Speaking during the commissioning of the Centre in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Dauda Kigbu,  who commissioned the Centre, said  the  facility will enable the SMEs, Trade Negotiation Researchers, Business Community, Non State Actor  and other interested users to have access to WTO information and multilateral trade agreements, tariffs and other related information.

He said the establishment of the Reference Centre in Nigeria was a clear demonstration of WTO’s readiness to build capacity of member countries and the importance attached to accurate and evidence based trade data and information.

“This is a welcome initiative as it would afford Reference Centre coordinator the opportunity of learning how to disseminate information in an efficient manner by networking and sharing information with other Reference Centres.  “This global training will also include collecting, classifying, correcting and analysing relevant data which can be technical, legal, economical and commercial,” he said.

He urged the WTO to include Nigeria in the annual missions for the purpose of upgrading and establishment of additional centers as earlier approved by WTO for Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the University of Abuja.

Professor Mustapher Sadni Jailab, Head of Unit WTO Reference Centre, stated that the Reference Centre was WTO Secretariat’s Strategy put in place for coherent WTO training paths based on a progressive, multi-modular approach, e-Training and e-Learning.

He charged the participants at the Reference Centre Training Programme to be ready to share their experiences with their colleagues in order to enhance the performance and productivity of the department in trade information dissemination and analysis of trade issues.

The Director of Trade, Mr. David Adejuwon, urged WTO to include Nigeria in the annual missions for the establishment of additional Centers as earlier approved and upgrading of the center that has been established.