Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), a Federal Government agency, established to promote the export of non-oil products, says it has identified “13 national strategic export products” (NSEP) across the country to replace crude oil.
This is in line with the policy thrust of the Federal Government to diversify the country’s economy, which is currently dependent on crude oil.
Olusegun Awolowo, executive director/CEO, NEPC, who revealed this in Aba, Abia State, at a workshop on “Legal Aspects of Export Contract” organised by the Abuja office of the Council, said the 13 products were grouped under three major sectors – agro industrial, mining related and oil and gas industrial products.
Products under agro industrial, comprises, palm oil, cocoa, cashew, sugar and rice. Mining related products include-cement, iron ore/metals, while products under auto parts/cars and aluminium group are petroleum products, fertilizer/urea, petrochemical and methanol.
Awolowo, who was represented at the forum by Christian Elekwa, trade promotion advisor, NEPC State Smart Office, Aba, stated that there would be deliberate and conscious effort by the NEPC to specifically promote these products, though not neglecting other products that were also of exportable value.
He explained that the process had already commenced with cashew, noting that Nigeria for the first time had joined the Cashew Alliance – a policy-making body for cashew exporters in Africa.
This, according to him, is part of NEPC’s strategy to be a dominant player in cashew export market globally.
Elekwa, in an interview with BusinessDay, stated that the workshop was conceived to assist exporters and prospective exporters, who have difficulties in coming to terms with the different procedures and terminologies associated with negotiating an export contract.
According to him, the workshop was necessitated by the observation that majority of exporters and potential exporters are not familiar with the legal aspects of export contracts, which are meant to assist them in their export businesses, which impacts negatively on the knowledge of teeming business community.
The workshop, which attracted large turnout of exporters and intended exporters, covered salient issues like, making an export offer, legal aspects of export contract and essentials of export contract, among others.
