NEPC’s export drive yields over 21m Euro

By Franca Ochigbo, Abuja 

THE Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has led 12 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) pilot firms in cocoa, cashew and sesame sector on a mission to Europe and other emerging markets, realising 21,724,800 Euro as export potential in 24months.

The Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NEPC, Olusegun Awolowo, represented by William Ezeagu, Director Product Development, said the firms were on sales mission to the Netherlands, as this also lead to several exports to Europe and other emerging markets.

Awolowo made this known during the opening ceremony for the Institute of Export and International Trade’s level 4 diploma in International Trade in Abuja, stating that the institute was designed and developed by the Export and International Trade, London, in collaboration with the International Trade Centre ITC, Geneva and the NEPC.

According to him, the objective is to train 26 NEPC staff members as pioneers with critical principles, procedures and documentation required for a successful career in international trade at a time when trade strategies and business models have suffered severe disruption and impacted significantly by COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that expertise knowledge and skills gained by the students will be used to develop innovative solutions and competiveness in internationalisation by Nigerian exporting firms in traditional and emerging markets, including African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), a market that connects about 1.3billion people across 55 countries with a combined GDP valued at $3.4trillion as reported by the World Bank in July, last year.

The ED also said a total of 26 NEPC staff have been selected to participate at this pioneer programme. Their representation, he said, is multi-disciplinary. There are students with background in economics, legal, marketing, logistics, accounting, environmental and social among others. Students he said are drawn from Abuja, Akure, Calabar, Katsina, Lagos, Minna, Uyo and Yola in line with the Council regional and state structures.