Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has urged exporters in non-oil sector in the South-East Region to take advantage of it’s training programmes to improve their trade.
Mrs Esther Ikporah, the South-East Regional Coordinator of NEPC said this on Wednesday during a training programme on “current trends in e-commerce” for non-oil exporters in Enugu.
She said the Export Clinic was designed to build the capacities of the newly registered non-oil exporters and potential exporters.
According to her: “The Export Clinic is a programme specially designed to build the capacities of potential and newly registered non-oil exporters.”
Ikporah said that the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) was the Federal Government apex institution for the promotion, development and diversification of exports.
She further said that NEPC had over the years worked to achieve its mandate by coordinating and harmonising export development and promotion activities in the country.
“The council has always taken the lead in all national export programmes; and interfacing with international trade agencies on cooperation and capacity building.
“At NEPC, we recognise that International Trade is quite different from local trading with several unique features and intricacies that sets it apart.
“To this end, it is quite necessary for potential exporters and newly registered exporters to be guided through the process of exporting from Nigeria in order to maximise opportunities and avoid common mistakes,” she said.
The coordinator said that the export clinic was organised to provide intensive training which cover all the basics of the non-oil export sector in Nigeria.
According to her, participants would be educated on export procedures and documentation; certifications; and other export needs.
He said “the export clinic would unveil the myriad of benefits that exporters stand to enjoy in the course of exporting formally.
“Participants would be exposed to NEPC activities, and how the Council can assist at every stage of the export process.
“It is hoped that at the end of today’s programme, participants would be better prepared to venture into the international market and export quality non-oil product and services from Nigeria.”
One of the resource persons, Mr Tony Odukwe, an expert in e-commerce export on non-oil sector said the advent of internet trading has made export business easy.
Odukwe told participants to make use of internet services to take their export trade to another level.
“With internet trading the sky is your beginning and not your limit,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Pauline Obianuko, State Coordinator of Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Enugu advised participants to make use of the training by NEPC to grow their export businesses.
She said that her door was opened for entrepreneurs from the zone to take advantage of the Council’s services.
