By Mbafan Ade (ABUJA) –
Nigeria generated $2.5billion from the export of non-oil products from January to June 2022, according to the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Dr. Ezea Yakusak.
Yakusak made this known while speaking to journalist in Abuja on Monday.
He spoke as part of activities for the forthcoming NEPC Export, stressing the need for Nigeria to embrace the export of non-oil products to guarantee Nigeria’s economic development export.
Yakusak explained that the NEPC Export was being organized in line with the current management’s strategic efforts of imbibing, sustaining and deepening an export culture in the non-oil export ecosystem.
He said: “The Council held its maiden National Conference on Non-oil Export with the theme: Export for Survival: Optimising Nigeria’s Non-Oil Export Potentials.
“The conference provided a veritable platform for stakeholders in the non-oil export sector to ventilate ideas on current and emerging issues affecting the non-oil export sector. Export Week is a continuation of that engagement with critical stakeholders and discerning members of the public.
“The objective is to keep the “Export4Survival” campaign on the front burner of national discourse using Export Week as a strategic information and communication tool to change the narratives.
“We envisage that the Export Week will provide a path for business and sector-led activities to thrive as well as help entrepreneurs particularly SMEs look out for new opportunities in the sector.
“Therefore, it is vital for these businesses to have the support and information they need to become successful.”
Answering a question concerning the continued rejection of Nigeria’s produce in the international market, Yakusak said a technical committee had been set up, in addition to an Implementation committee, to address the challenge.
According to the NEPC boss, lack of adequate documentation of produce, lack of compliance to export rules, high level of pesticides used in the preservation of produce as well as poor packaging, were some of the issues confronting Nigeria’s products in the international market.