Nigerian Export Promotion Council

NEPC Management Team

NEPC has made a milestone and their new office is schedule for completion soon. NEPC is headed by the executive director/CEO, Barrister David Adulugba. Other Aliyu Lawal, in charge of trade information , Mr. David Onwunbiko (Finance & Supplies), Alh. Aminu Koko (Admin & Human Resources), Alh. Sabo Bello (Market Development) and Mrs. Omowunmi Osibo (Product Development).

Other directors of NEPC are: Mr. Olajide Ibrahim – Special Services, Mr. Henry Otowo (Incentives), Mr. Mattew Agbogun – Multi Lateral & Bi-Lateral and Mr. Sidi-Aliyu Abubakar – Area Controller, North.

ok.mpg The House of Representatives visit to the Nigerians Export Promotion Council

NEPC exposes Nigerian entrepreneurs at seminar

MONDAY, 05 DECEMBER 2011 10:10 CAMI EZENWA

THE Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) is intensifying its efforts aimed at showcasing Nigerian export potential to the rest of the world.
In conjunction with the Japanese External Trade Organisation (JETHRO), it successfully organised an exhibition and seminar for exporters at Apapa, Lagos, with participants describing the event as highly beneficial.

The seminar held with the theme: “Market Access to Japan: Spices and Food Related Products”.
A Japanese food expert, Mr Norio Ichimadu, who participated at the seminar, said that Nigerian food manufacturers, especially spices, have the potentials to export their products with an improved packaging services.

According to Ichimadu, Nigerian food products were among the best and of the highest quality grade assisted by its natural vegetation.
``With what I have seen so far, Nigerian exporters can compete favourably with their world counterparts, if they can have an attractive packaging systems and improved preservation,” he said.

The food expert, after exhibiting some Nigerian spice products, identified cashew nut, ginger, hibiscus, sorghum flour, bitter kola as those products that could break easily into the Japanese market.

He said that some of the products being imported from India and Thailand were of high demand in Japan.
Ichimadu said that Nigerian exporters would benefit greatly, if they could meet up with the country's food specifications.
Mr Taku Hiroki, the Trade Commissioner, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), said that Japan has the strictest regulation and specification for food related products, adding that with improved communication link and technology both country would benefit a lot.

Mr David Adulugba, the Executive Director of NEPC, said that the organisation was ready to provide assistance in empowering exporters to adopt good agricultural practices that would help Nigeria in acquiring distinct image in international processing hub.

According to him, Nigeria is the major producer of spices which had recorded a substantial growth in global market.
Mrs Evlyn Obidike, the NEPC Assistant Director, Women in Export, said that the seminar became imperative in view of the wide opportunities and gains derivable from the Japanese market by Nigerian exporters.

``This seminar is to broaden the scope of our food manufacturers for breaking into Japanese food market,” she said, adding that the country has enjoyed a harmonius relationship with Japan trade organisations for some time now, and that the trade had immense benefits for our exporters.
Mr Victor Chukwuogo, a food exporter, identified finance and documentation as some of the major challenges being faced by exporters.

EXPORTS GENERATE $10BN YEARLY - NEPC

FRIDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2011 10:00

The Executive Director, Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), David Adulugba, has disclosed that Nigeria's exportable products currently generates $10 billion yearly. The NEPC boss, who listed the exportable resources to include cashew, cocoa, sesame seeds and special leathers (finished ones) reiterated that manufacturing products in the country are also doing well in the export market.

Adulugba made this disclosure on Wednesday at the commissioning of the N11 million data centre built for the council by Skyward Research and consulting Ltd.

According to him, President Goodluck Jonathan made reference to the positive contributions of the country's exportations to economic growth in the 2012 Budget presented on Tuesday, stressing that the report from the International Trade Development Centre in Geneva also corroborated Nigeria's contributions to the world economy and efforts put up to become competitive in the global market.

'As I speak to you and, according to the International Trade Development Centre in Geneva, Nigeria's exportation currently hits $10 billion yearly, and this has positioned Nigeria as one of the leading emerging economy in the world.'At NEPC, we are doubling our efforts to ensure that we increase the figure by the end of this year,' he stated.

Despite this, the NEPC executive director hinted that some challenges include failing infrastructure, paucity of funds to develop products, cost of production, which is very high in Nigeria, checkpoints and border harassments, sea piracy, among others, are things plaguing the sector in the country. According to him, NEPC is trying as much as possible to diversify the economy: 'The oil economy is a mono base economy. Nigeria can do well without oil. The oil economy has not done well and except we make stringent effort to diversify the economy by developing the non oil sector, we may not compete well in the global economy.'

On the N11 million data centre launched, Adulugba said with the transformation brought about by Information Technology, not only in Nigeria, but globally, NEPC can't be allowed to left behind, 'we must go digital in export processing.' He explained that Data collection, collation, storage and retrieval is a system that must be embedded in the NEPC operations, 'though, it is coming rather too late, but we must join the global train and ensure we are not left behind. Quality and accurate service delivery is very germane to our business, therefore going digital is not just imperative but highly critical attaining our goals.

'NEPC is not a place for dead woods, but brainy, enterprising and goal getters for transformation.'

On his part, the Managing Director of Skyward Research and Consulting Ltd, Mr. Ike Abugu, noted that prior to the assumption of office of Adulugba as the Executive Director of NEPC, there was not much computerization that had been done at NEPC, 'we have literally had to start from the scratch.'

Abugu said with the commissioning of the data centre, NEPC will be able to regularizes access to the Council's documents; converts the Council's hard documents into electronic format; improves the security of documents and records. Abugu, however, said in case of any unfortunate incidence, there is a disaster recovery strategy put in place by the firm.

NEWS:

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) yesterday said exportable products currently contribute $10 billion to the nation’s economy on a yearly basis.

The Executive Director of NEPC, Barr. David Adulugba dropped the hint at the commissioning of the N11 million data centre built for the council by Skyward Research and consulting Ltd.

He said the report from the International Trade Development Centre in Geneva corroborated Nigeria’s contributions to the world economy adding that concerted efforts are being put in place to become more competitive in the global market.

According to him, exportable resources are doing well at the international market which he listed to include raw commodities of cashew, cocoa, sesame seeds and special leathers.

He noted that manufacturing products in the country are also doing well in the export market adding that President Goodluck Jonathan made reference to the positive contributions of the country’s exportations to economic growth in the 2012 budget presented on Tuesday.

“As I am speaking to you and according to the International Trade Development Centre in Geneva, Nigeria’s exportation currently hits $10 billion yearly and this has position Nigeria as one of the leading emerging economy in the world. NEPC, we are doubling our efforts to ensure that we double that figure by the end of this year,” he stated.

The NEPC Executive Director lamented that despise challenges faced in the country, the council was taking steps to boost exports and encourage Nigerians to come forth with sellable ideas and products at the international business arena to diversify the economy.

He said, “Major challenges facing the system include; failing infrastructure; paucity of funds to develop products; cost of production, which is very high in Nigeria; checkpoints and border harassments, sea piracy among others.”

Adulugba added, “The oil economy is a mono base economy. Nigeria can do well without oil. The oil economy has not done well and except we make stringent effort to diversify the economy by developing the non oil sector, we may not compete well in the global economy.”

On the N11 million data centre launched, Adulugba said with the transformation brought about by Information Technology, not only in Nigeria, but globally, NEPC would not allow the nation to be left behind saying “we must go digital in export processing.”

He explained that Data collection, collation, storage and retrieval is a system that must be embedded in the NEPC operations.

NEPC seeks better packaging to boost export potentials of Nigerian products:

MONDAY, 05 DECEMBER 2011 00:00 AUSTIN IMHONLELE

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has urged Nigerian manufacturing companies to improve on packaging of their products to boost export potential of made-in-Nigeria products.

It has been observed that flexible packages are gaining increasingly large market shares throughout the food industry. At the same time, film, foil laminates have to meet ever more stringent technological and food law requirements. In this light, NEPC’s efforts have for sometime been specifically channelled towards making every Nigerian very conscious of the nation’s non-oil export potential and driving the increase of non-oil export activities, as a key to diversifying the nation’s productive base.

The council has so far embarked on market development; trade information; human capital development; collaboration with multi-lateral, public and private sector organisations; export education and awareness as well as on issues of export financing and incentives.

David Adulugba, executive director, NEPC, said these are part of the council’s efforts to increase the basket of exportable products from Nigeria and ensure that products exported from Nigeria meet the requisite standards and quality requirements in the international market.

“With adequate funding, we will open up more offices in virtually all the states of the federation to enable NEPC identify, develop and promote, in collaboration with the state and local governments, at least, one exportable product from each state of the federation,” he said.

The mission for the NEPC is to facilitate exports to promote sustainable economic development with the ultimate goal of identifying existing opportunities as well as encourage new industries or production facilities to be set up in order to meet newly identified demands in the international market.

One of the strategies the council has adopted in its quest to stimulate export development activities particular for SMEs is the establishment of Common Facility Centres (CFC) across the country.

Its objective is to make Nigerian products more competitive in the international market. To this end, arrangements have almost been concluded to replicate the CFC Aba for production of leather products in different states of the federation- Kano and Otukpo for leather; Makurdi for garments; Ekiti for bananas and Osun for catfish.

NEPC lashes Nigerian exporters for low participation in int’l fairs:
By Franklin Alli

The Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. David Adulugba, has lashed out at local exporters in the country for their low participation in international trade fairs coordinated by the Council.

“If you don’t participate in these trade fairs, how would you pe*****te new markets? How would you know the trade rules of that country,” he queried.

Adulugba, who was in Lagos to review the impacts of the Council’s activities on non-oil exports in 2011, said despite incentives that have been put in place by the Council to facilitate the participation of selected Nigerian companies to these fairs and exhibitions, only a few companies participated in international trade fairs, solo exhibitions, and trade missions coordinated by the Council.

He disclosed that 50 percent rebate is one of the major incentives and a total of 131 companies were paid rebate from 2009-2011.

“Other incentives to the companies include: air freighting of exhibits up to a maximum of 100kg free of charge, provision of display stands at the fair country, provision of interpreters where needed including arrangement of business meeting and match-making.

“In addition, the Council spearheaded the Nigeria’s participation in various trade shows in Africa, Asia, Europe and the USA in 2011.”

He said that a modest achievement was recorded by the Council in the outgoing years, in terms of on-the spot sales, signing of Memorandum of Understanding for joint ventures and export orders.

“The Council would consolidate these gains through marketing as well as product improvement in the nearest future. One of the key functions of the Council is opening of new markets for our locally produced goods in the international market.

To realize this goal, and in an effort to increase its data base on potential markets for our products, the Council initiated market surveys in seven countries, namely, Mali, Canada Algeria, Kenya ,Gabon, Namibia and Republic of Ireland.”

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