The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in Ondo State has called on Nigerian entrepreneurs and producers to expand their products into international markets to maximise profit and boost the nation’s economy.
The State Coordinator of NEPC, Mrs. Iyabode Abe, made the appeal on Friday in Akure during a one-day training on the Zero2Export Programme for Beginner Exporters.
Abe emphasised that the move was essential to strengthen the country’s non-oil export sector for national growth and development.
According to her, NEPC understands the fundamentals and benefits of exporting and remains committed to supporting potential exporters.
“There is the need to enhance competitiveness of the country’s products in the global market.
This training will equip participants with adequate knowledge on market research, global compliance to standard, export documentation and certification to penetrate international market.
I urge stakeholders to collaborate with NEPC in a bid to improve exportation of the country’s products in the non oil sector,” she said.
Similarly, Mrs. Anne Adulugba from NEPC’s Training and Information Department in Abuja, said the programme was designed to help prospective exporters achieve their goals.
“Export is quite complex. This training will help them to understand complexities of export business, to give them the practical hands-on things,” she said.
Adulugba revealed that more than 100 participants had already benefited from the training in the state, with increasing interest from other Nigerians. She noted that participants would be equipped with the prerequisite knowledge to also train others.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Ministry of Commerce, Mrs. Toyin Oni, said the initiative would help young entrepreneurs expand their market reach.
“This will ensure that the marketing of the participants’ products will not be limited to their immediate environment.
They will learn some standards and requirements that will make their products have international qualities and standard.
This will expand their revenue base and productivity, and bring economic development to the state and the country at large,” she said.
Oni added that the state government had been supporting NEPC’s activities and other initiatives promoting medium and small-scale enterprises.
“The government has also provided logistics and support to make the environment secure and safe for entrepreneurship. Government has acquired land to provide a large trade fair complex that will allow entrepreneurs and producers exhibit their products,” she stated.
Chairman of the National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Mr. Oluwaseun Akadiri, described the training as timely.
“The training will counter the ignorance that has taken many small scale industrialists and producers by the jugular.
It is a good one because it will enlighten us. There are many opportunities for us, but ignorance is the problem. There are many produce, but there is no market.
There are many non oil exports from the country but carried out by foreigners.
Africa on its own, is a large market to sell our products and this will give us more income, rather than limiting ourselves to our immediate environment,” he said.
