The Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr Segun Awolowo, has advised Nigerian exporters against substandard products that cannot compete favourably in global markets.
Speaking during a training programme on Grassroots Export Mobilisation for Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth organised by the NEPC for the small and medium entrepreneurs on value addition in Kwara state on Wednesday, Awolowo said the objective of the programme was to build the capacity of some selected target groups such as farmers, food processors, and exporters on agriculture value chain for export.
“There is the need to embrace international best practices as quality standard goes a long way to determine success in export business,” he said.
Represented by a deputy director in the council, Mr Andy Ambiktun, the NEPC boss enjoined the exporters to ensure proper documentation on legal and financial aspects of their businesses.
“Documentation is important in export trade. Thus, such every information that would be contained in export trade documentation should be accurate, neat, and presentable if it’s meant for exportaion of international standard. Exporters should also ensure good packaging of their products to ensure safety during transportation and during arrival, while issues such as language of the countries being exported to should be considered in packaging,” he said.
Awolowo also said that the capacity Building Intervention Programme was designed in line with the economic diversification drive of the present administration on Export Expansion Programmes to enhance export of high quality standard products.