Nigerian exporters have improved their value addition practise as 36 percent of exports between January and June 2022 was value laden according to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
Ezra Yakusak, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NEPC said this while speaking to BusinessDay at a press conference to herald the upcoming NEPC Export Week scheduled to hold from November 21st to 26th 2022.
He said from January to June this year, the country’s export of primary products was 33 percent while semi processed and manufactured products was 36 percent.
“What this means is that Nigerians are imbibing the value addition culture in exports but we will continue to sensitize them on the need to export value added products,” he said.
He also revealed that the council registered about 2000 new exporters between during this period which is higher than the figure achieved last year.
He said the NEPC is set to host the maiden edition of its export week which aligns with its plans to further improve export activities in the country.
“The Export Week is a continuation of extensive engagement with critical stakeholders and discerning members of the public with an objective to keep the “Export4Survival” campaign in the front burner of national discourse,” he said.
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He added that the Export4Survival campaign aims to sensitise Nigerians on the numerous benefits of non oil export, reiterating that the only way to survive as a nation economically is through non-oil exports.
Yakusak said that one of the key objectives of the program is to highlight the significance of exports to the country’s economy by strengthening and deepening interactions and partnerships with relevant stakeholders in the public and private sector.
“Our target audience is the Nigerian exporters because we want them to sustain what they are doing because we believe it is profitable, increases foreign exchange inflow, improves the economy, generate employment and drives industrialization,” he said.
Yakusak said it is expected that the Export Week will provide a path for business and sector led activities to thrive as well as help entrepreneurs particularly SMEs look out for new opportunities in the sector.
The week long program will kick off with the launching of ‘Export4Survival’ Campaign by Niyi Adebayo, Minister for Industry Trade and investment, followed by a symposium with the theme ‘strengthening the Non-Oil Export Sector for National Development’
Other activities include an export inclusiveness day for women and youth, the Export4Survival Walk, a variety show and Gala Night and a maiden edition of the Exporters’ Award and Gala Night to be held on 26th November 2022 in Lagos.
He said these awards aim to recognize and celebrate exporters who despite the challenging environment in which they operate have over the years been consistent in recording appreciable success and thereby contributing to the growth and development of the country’s economy.
Speaking on the rejection of Nigerian products, he said the NEPC is doing a lot to address this issue including organising an inter agency visit to London to get firsthand information on things responsible for the rejection.
“One major problem responsible for this is lack of adequate documentation, another is the lack of compliance with rules of the importing country , there is also the issue of high pesticide content in our products and poor packaging,” he said.
Yakusak noted that some recommendations to address this issue includes the establishment of modern laboratories that can detect high level of pesticide.
