50 onion farmers and marketers have received training from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council on export regulations, financial incentives, and other value chains.
The NEPC Trade Adviser and Head of the Sokoto zonal office, Yahaya Ahmad-Sukaraiju, stated that the training was a part of the organization’s attempts to educate company owners about onion value chains.
Ahmad-Sukaraiju urged company owners to list their goods using the established mechanisms, describing export incentives as a catalyst for growing non-oil export in Nigeria.
He stated that the “One State, One Product” initiative led to the selection of the onion in Sokoto state and that the activity’s purpose was to educate company owners about the incentives in NEPC to enable them to become beneficiaries.
Incentives, he believes, will aid in making domestic products competitive in the global market and boost corporate expansion.
“We need incentives to promote export growth, to encourage companies to export certain goods and services to help them penetrate more markets and to promote local value-addition.
“Due to the need for global markets and the heightened level of international competitiveness. Exports are discouraged by insufficient incentives,” he claimed.
An Assistant Director from NEPC Headquarters, Mal. Aminu Lawal, addressed the main duties of NEPC, its legislative framework, and its duties throughout his presentation. He emphasized that incentives were offered to make the Nigerian economy viable.
According to Lawal, Nigeria needed to export in order to advance economically, increase foreign exchange, and generate cash for national development.
He mentioned the Export Development Fund and Export Expansion Grant as incentives being given to qualified applicants who must be registered with the council and stressed the importance of having a well-articulated export plan when providing incentives to businesses.
He went on to note that NEPC was providing free training to businesses around the country to help them become more capable of adding value for export, which would have a multiplier effect on the nation’s economy.
The head of the National Onion Producers and Merchants Association, Alhaji Aliyu Maitasamu, spoke on behalf of the attendees and commended NEPC for its efforts to promote export and the expansion of the non-oil industry.
Maitasamu pointed out that the challenges encountered in repatriating trade profits continued to be limitations for his members.
He urged manufacturers and distributors not to be discouraged by difficulties because the government is making efforts to lessen the issues related to the industry.
