The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has expressed concern that the presence of Nigerian made goods and entrepreneurs is not yet felt in West Africa, despite the huge opportunities that Nigeria can maximize within the region.
Ezra Yakusak, executive director of NEPC, who stated this on Wednesday, revealed that the Council has concluded plans to hold an exhibition of Made-in-Nigeria goods in Ivory Coast (Cote D’Ivoire). According to him, the Ivorian market serves as the hub to penetrate other francophone market in the region.
While launching the Made in Nigeria Exhibition (MINE) and Nigeria-Cote D’Ivoire Excellent Award organised by SCIAYO and Ecomarkket in Abuja, Yakusak said the exhibition will prepare Nigerian manufacturers of exportable goods to have in-depth knowledge of the market environment for easy market access and growth.
He stressed that Nigeria needs to have a grip of the West African market before extending to the other African market, especially with the signing of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
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The NEPC Boss whole noting that Cote D’Ivoire market has huge potentials for Made – in Nigerian products, added that ECOWAS has an estimated population of over 350 Million with a GDP of $1.48 trillion , which he described as an untapped potential.
He informed the audience that the NEPC launched an Export Trade House in Cairo, Egypt to help position the made in Nigerian brand within the ECOWAS sub-region and Africa as a whole.
Yakusak said the trade house would enhance the visibility of Made-in-Nigerian products outside the Nigerian shores to reduce the cost of logistics on Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); increase Nigeria share in the targeted markets; create employment opportunities for teeming youths; and increase forex inflow into the Nigerian economy.
In his remarks, Traore Kalilou, Ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire to Nigeria reiterated the readiness of the country to partner with Nigeria for trade expansion.
“My country is increasingly interested in strengthening trade and investment with Nigeria, in particular because of the dynamism of our economies . We believe that the exhibition could become one of the important instruments for strengthening economic exchanges between the two countries,” he said.
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