By Israel Mbam
In his keynote address, the Executive Director and CEO of Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo said the council was established to spearhead the diversification of the Nigeria Economy by expanding and increasing non-oil exports for sustainable and inclusive economic growth. He explained that NEPC has the duty of promotion and development of non-oil exports in Nigeria; hence the workshop them which was on “Developing the Nigerian Agricultural Value Chain for Export through Effective Corporative Society Formation and Management”
Mr. Awolowo noted that for decades, Nigeria depended on mono economy, which is oil as her primary export and that has left the country very vulnerable to price change that resulted to plunging the economy into disarray following the outbreak of corona virus. He stressed that it was time to diversify Nigerian Export Sector outside crude oil, which he said would be possible through the proper formation and management of corporative societies that will have access and products for export to global market.
“In order to revolutionalize the Nigeria Agricultural landscape and by implication, the non-oil export sector, the role of corporative society has become sacrosanct. Corporative societies are veritable tool in propagating and increasing export trade in Nigeria and beyond” he stated.
The NEPC Director added that corporative society plays an increasingly important role worldwide in poverty reduction, facilitating job creation, access to credit, economic growth and social development, hence the need for it proper formation and management to achieve effective result.
Declaring the workshop open, Ebonyi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Ogodo Ali Nomeh commended NEPC for their efforts at mobilizing Agro value chain dealers and farmers in Ebonyi state to form corporative, produce in large quantity and access to export businesses. The Commissioner promised to collaborate with NEPC and Export Club in the State to provide land, inputs and other form of support to them. He advised interested corporative societies to take advantage of various policies and programs of the state and federal government to improve their products for export and expansion of zero oil economy.
Earlier in his welcome address, the trade advisor and Abakaliki Export Assistance officer of NEPC, Mr. Emmanuel E. Unanam welcomed the Executive Director of the Council, resource persons and participants to the workshop, which he said was tailored to stimulate an inclusive export activity in Ebonyi State for the envisaged sustainable economic development of the state and Nigeria at large. He urged all in attendance to participate actively in the program in order to translate the huge export potential of their products to reality.
President of Ebonyi Export Club, Hon. Mrs. Chinagorom Okereke and other participants thanked the Nigeria Export Promotion Council for the expository workshop. The noted that the training was an eye opener as they are better prepared to tap from the many available opportunities for them to produce and export in large quantity. The participants were trained on opportunities and how to effectively export their products as corporative societies.
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