The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has called on exporters in Kano and the entire region to embrace exportation of the abundant indigenous products available in the region to the global market for sustainable economic growth in the country.
The call was made by the regional coordinator of the NEPC Mr Salami M.A during the Export Week Seminar and Symposium organized by the council in Kano.
He said since the region is blessed with abundant products needed in the world, there is a need for more exporters that will penetrate the global market with their products, adding it will help in strengthening Small and Medium Enterprises and also create jobs.
According to him, the program with a theme ‘Strengthening the Non-Oil Export Sector for National Economic Development,’ engages 150 exporters from the state and that they will be trained on various techniques and processes of packaging, marketing and exporting products needed globally.
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“This symposium is part of the Council’s strategy to mobilize the participation of stakeholders and practitioners in the non-oil sector. The three presentations in today’s event will focus on Nigerian Non-Oil Export Sector: The Journey So Far, Harnessing Nigerian Abundant Resources for Sustainable Economic Growth and A General Overview of National Development: Sectoral Perspectives/Experience Sharing (Agriculture, Manufacturing, Solid Minerals and Services).
“Noteworthy is to state that the overall target of the event is to publicize “Export4Survival” Campaign in the Kano Region in order to encourage entrepreneurs particularly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) lookout for new opportunities in the non-oil sector. While this would amount to growing business for the stakeholders in the SMEs, it would help Nigeria to sustain its growing non-oil export that increased by 58.2% year-on-year to N1.49 trillion in Q2 of 2022,” he said.
In his remark, Commissioner, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Cooperative and Mineral Resources Barrister Ibrahim Mukhtar said non-oil exports is a good leverage for the economy to grow but it is challenged with finishing and packaging and meeting standards.
He said the state government is promoting some crops to be exported and also working on plans to improve exports and the economy.
“We are working on tomato, rice, onion, and other perishable items, we have the markets and are working on expanding our destination for exports to include Saudi Arabia,” he said.
