Ondo NEPC Urges Nigerian entrepreneurs and manufacturers to explore opportunities in international markets to maximize earnings.
Speaking on Friday in Akure during a one-day “Zero2Export” training for beginner exporters, the State Coordinator of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mrs. Iyabode Abe, said expanding into global trade was vital for boosting the nation’s non-oil exports and driving economic growth.
Abe assured participants that NEPC has the expertise and capacity to guide potential exporters, stressing the importance of making Nigerian products competitive globally.
“This training will provide participants with crucial knowledge on market research, global compliance standards, export documentation, and certification all necessary for accessing international markets,” she said. “I encourage stakeholders to work closely with NEPC to improve non-oil product exports.”
Also speaking, Mrs. Anne Adulugba from NEPC’s Training and Information Department in Abuja explained that the initiative was developed to help prospective exporters realise their business goals.
“Export is complex, but this programme simplifies the process and offers practical, hands-on guidance,” Adulugba said. She noted that over 100 participants have already benefited in Ondo State, with increasing interest nationwide. She added that trainees would also be capable of passing their knowledge on to others.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Ministry of Commerce, Mrs. Toyin Oni, said the programme would empower young entrepreneurs to extend their market reach beyond local boundaries.
“They will learn global standards that can elevate their products to international quality, which in turn expands revenue, boosts productivity, and contributes to economic growth at both state and national levels,” Oni said.
She highlighted the state government’s ongoing support for NEPC and other SME-focused initiatives, revealing that funds have been released to strengthen MSMEs and logistics have been provided to create a safe, enabling business environment. The government, she added, has also secured land to build a large trade fair complex for entrepreneurs to showcase their products.
Similarly, the Chairman of the National Association of Small Scale Industrialists NEPC Mr. Oluwaseun Akadiri, described the training as a timely intervention to bridge knowledge gaps holding back small-scale producers.
“This programme is an eye-opener. We have plenty of opportunities and abundant produce, but ignorance and lack of markets limit us. Even within Africa, there’s a vast market that could increase our income instead of restricting us to our immediate surroundings,” Akadiri said.