Worried by the low export volumes, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council has intensified its engagement with farmers, food processors and stakeholders involved in export trade to increase the volume of non-oil export contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product.
According to punchng.com, the council also noted that as part of steps to address setbacks of Nigerian exports penetration of international markets the body, through the Export Expansion Facility Programme, would intensify efforts on capacity building programmes.
It said farmers, food processors, and value chain operators in the ten selected export products, drawn from across 20 states selected for the first pilot phase to change the export of non-oil product narratives would be trained on Good Agricultural, Warehousing and Manufacturing Practices gap factors, Hazard Critical Control Points, and food safety and quality standards issues which are a key requirement in export under the EEFP on a continuous basis.
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The newly appointed Executive Director/CEO Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Ezra Yakusak, who succeeded, Olusegun Awolowo, disclosed this, at a one-day sensitization programme on capacity building of stakeholders for selected products in the North East, on Tuesday in Yola.
Yakusak, who was represented, by Andy Dauda, Deputy Director, NEPC, said, the council, under the proposed capacity building programme, of the EEFP, plans to use the capacity building work stream in addressing the country’s low volume of non-oil export contributions to the GDP.
He said, “I am delighted to emphasize that out of the 22 identified National Strategic Products under the Zero Oil Plan, ten have been selected under the EEFP for the training of the farmers/value chain operators in 20 selected states to change the export of non-oil product narrative.
“Nigerian products face challenges in the international markets, under the proposed capacity building programme, for selected agricultural processors and farmers, across the six geopolitical zones, for the first 20 states selected for the pilot scheme who are to be trained, the country could begin to witness a turnaround.
