The efforts of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in accelerating the economic diversification of the country through non-oil exports have gained recognition from the World Customs Organisation (WCO).
The WCO recently presented Certificate of Merit to the NEPC through Abdullahi Dikko Inde, comptroller general of the Nigerian Customs Service, who said the honour was for the body’s consistency in rendering exceptional service to the international customs through export promotion.
The Award, which was presented to Olusegun Awolowo, executive director of NEPC by the comptroller general at the Nigerian Customs headquarters Abuja, was part of activities marking the International Customs Day 2015.
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Presenting the Award, Inde said time was ripe for the development of a synergy between the Nigerian Customs and NEPC to ensuring the increase in the generation of foreign exchange by Nigeria through exports.
According to him, there is need for the two Federal Government agencies to collaborate more in providing security for export oriented businesses in Nigeria, with a view to enhancing economic diversification initiatives of the government.
In his response, the NEPC boss congratulates the comptroller general on the successes that have been trailing the initiatives so far put in place by the Nigerian Customs Service for upping the national revenue through its drive for that purpose.
Awolowo says the importance of exports as a means of generating foreign exchange cannot be too stressed, adding that NEPC has launched series of initiatives towards fast-tracking growth of non-oil exports in Nigeria as a means of reviving the national economy.
The target by NEPC is to ensure that Nigeria always attains a balance of trade in its international trade, he says, stressing that with the commitment by the agency for export promotion, the country will always be in a position to offset its import bills with proceeds from exports.
