…Lists Covid-19, crash of oil price as hindrance
By Okhide Em’ya David
Executive Director and CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Olusegun Awolowo, lamented that the major challenge faced by exporters is high cost of Logistics and posited that the body needs aggressive marketing to increase productivity, enhance expansion and facilitate growth.
Awolowo who was represented by the Deputy Director, International Export Office, Mr. lliya Bitrus Yaro listed the problem at the stakeholders’ engagement meeting on repositioning Nexportrade Houses Limited, Edo State.
He said the purpose is to promote patronage for export quality “Made-in-Nigeria Products and Services.”
Awolowo said the event was aimed at educating and sensitizing the targeted beneficiaries on the goals of NHL, its administrative and operational framework and benefits to SMES, and established businesses, including the procedure for coming on board.
“One of the challenges faced by exporters is the cost of logistics, especially exporting to West African countries, where made in Nigeria products have comparative advantage,” he said.
Awolowo further stated that the core aim of NHL is to drastically reduce cost of logistics for exporters, especially the Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
“NEPC as Federal Government Apex Agency saddled with duty of diversifying the Nigerian economy through the promotion of non-oil export believed NHL platform can provide and support Nigerian exporters in dominating the West Africa and African market, if given the necessary help.”
“We are working closely with MANEG to upgrade the Nexportrade Website, by making it more attractive to attract potential customers for its members.”
“This is because our current marketing strategies/ways of doing business can no longer be maintained largely due to sudden disruptions caused by the ravaging Covid-19 global pandemic,” Awolowo lamented.
In his remarks, NEPC, Benin Export Assistant Officer, MacPherson Fred-Ileogben, said the event was in continuation of the Stakeholders engagement/sensitization exercise on repositioning of the Nexportrade Houses Limited.
According to him, the event is to improve the global visibility of made-in-Nigeria goods and services and that it would motivate the readiness of “our exporters to export their goods and services, in order to earn foreign exchange.”
Speaking on a topic: The Role of Regulatory Agencies in the Operational Framework of Nexportrade, the Director, Nexportrade Houses limited, Barrister Kola Awe, said Nexportrade was to create a platform for them to export their goods and products to other West African countries.
Barrister Awe who is also the Chairman, NACCIMA Export Group appealed to the exporters in Edo to register their businesses so that they can enjoy the benefits of Nexportrade.
He urged them to make use of the opportunities that, it would help to easy the cost of exporting goods and services to other nations.
Barrister Awe said their aims was to ensure every exporters and companies export their products without cost them more money. He also lamented the high cost of exporting goods and products to other Africa countries.
He said through Nexportrade Houses Limited their products will be marketed in other countries in Internet. He urged the investors to take advantage of export business and stressed that air is more expensive when exporting products than sea.
