The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) is planning to increase the country’s earnings from non-oil exports by 30 per cent over the next four years.
Non-oil export earnings, according to figures obtained from the NEPC, stood at $2.7bn (N531bn) as of December 2014 and a 30 per cent increase will see the figure rise to $3.51bn (N691bn) in the next four years.
The council is also targeting to create fresh 1.5 million jobs in the next five years in the Small and Medium Enterprises sector of the economy.
These figures are contained in a road map on the Nigerian Diaspora Export Programme prepared by the NEPC.
The road map was presented to stakeholders in Abuja on Thursday during a forum on the implementation of the programme.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive, NEPC, Segun Awolowo, said the programme was a direct response to the dwindling revenue from oil.
He said that the country had yet to fully exploit the potential of non-oil exports despite the fact that Nigeria was endowed with abundant natural resources.
By Pita Ochai