NEPC Workshop

By Shehu Sa’eed

The Development and Promotion of Non-Oil Exports is on the transformation agenda of the present Administration towards the realization of Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020. However, this sector is not without some challenges – one of which is the rejection of food produce exported to the United Kingdom and European Union.

It is in view of this that the Nigerian Export Promotion Council in collaboration with the United Kingdom Border Agency organized a two – day workshop to sensitize Nigerian Exporters on guidelines for exportation of food produce to the UK and EU.

The European Commission’s Health and Consumer Directorate recently issued new conditions for the export of food produce from Nigeria which should be subject to a 100% pre-export test.

This resulted in the loss of millions of naira by Nigerian Exporters due to the rejection of their produce at the entry point. The workshop therefore is to equip Nigerian Exporters with the requisite knowledge of the new rules.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Olusegun Aganga represented by the Permanent Secretary Danda Kigbu emphasized the need to address the challenges of exporting food produce to the EU and UK to encourage such export.

The workshop will also feature an exhibition on export of Nigerian food produce to the UK and EU.