NIGERIAN Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has put in place some plans that will help increase the country’s earnings on non-oil export to $30billion from the $2.7billion it currently stands even as the Council and the Ministry of Agriculture have evolve ways to transform the nation’s economy.
Speaking in his office yesterday when he received the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Export Promotion Council Mr Olusegun Awolowo who was on a courtesy visit to Minister of Agriculture,Chief Audu Ogbe in Abuja, he said:
“The plan identifies 11 strategic products\sectors, and 21 countries, for Nigerian goods, to grow non-oil foreign exchange from $2.7 billion today, to $30 billion in five years.”
It will be recalled that the country’s total non-oil export volume in the first three-quarters of 2015 was 612.73 million dollars.
He said the volume of non-oil exports dropped slightly during the year when compared to the preceding year. He attributed the drop to the uncertainties surrounding political activities in the country as well as the activities of insurgents in the northeast region. “Statistics of non-oil exports dipped a little in 2015 when compared to the preceding year.
“This can be attributed largely to two major reasons, which are – 2015 being an election year, there were plenty of uncertainties surrounding political activities and that of the insurgents in the northeast. “However, some marginal impact was made though only statistics of the first three-quarters are captured for now.
“For the first quarter, we have gross weight of 516, 428. 63 metric tonnes with export value of $664, 638. 89.
“ The second quarter has gross weight of 368, 529. 64 metric tonnes with export value of $391, 602,161. 02, while for third quarter we have gross weight of 311, 769. 10 metric tonnes with export value of 220, 460, 728 dollars respectively,’’ he said.
Awolowo said the council was working on a Zero Oil Plan that would enable it to achieve its objective in the current year.
He said the plan was “in addition to implementing the National Strategic Export Product (NSEP) targeted at replacing oil and to shore up the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
“The Zero Oil Plan will ensure that the sector emerges as a major contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product. “When fully implemented, the Zero Oil Plan will assist in achieving our set goals,’’ Awolowo said.
However, the NEPC and the Ministry of Agriculture proffered ways to transform the sector as a key sector for job creation, food security and foreign exchange earner.
Awolowo lamented that the country had not been able to achieve the full potentials of the sector when compared to its abundant human and natural resources especially in the agriculture and solid mineral sectors.
Towards this end, the Minister announced plans to organize a national Agricultural Summit aimed at engaging the youths to get their buy-in and change the orientation that agriculture was only meant for never-do-well in the society even as he commended the NEPC for articulating a Zero Oil Plan to support the rapid diversification of the Nation’s economy through non-oil exports.
He noted that although there are several inhibitions to achieving a total diversification from oil to non-oil the Minister was optimistic that the challenges were not insurmountable. However, he maintained that the same advocacy must be carried to the door-steps of the Governors in their respective States in order to make the states self-reliant and increase their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
The factors that would transform the sector, he pointed out include among others international best practices in agriculture within the entire value-chain in terms quality and standards, logistics, cultivation of high yielding species, production, mechanisation, processing, good preservation methods, marketing and packaging.
Corroborating the Minister’s position, Mr Awolowo explained that NEPC as part of its strategies to reposition the non-oil export sector adopted the following:
One-State-One Product Programme: Assisting each State of the Federation to develop and promote a choice exportable product where it has comparative and competitive edge for exports and can do well at international market.
National Strategic Export Products: In this regards, 13 products in three categories are now in focus viz: Agro Industrial – Palm Oil, Cocoa, Cashew, Sugar and Rice); Mining related products – Cement, Iron ore/metals, Auto parts/cars, Aluminium and, Oil and Gas Industrial Products – Petroleum products, fertilizer/Urea, Petrochemical and Methanol.
Nigerian Diaspora Export Programme: Which has three major components targeted at Nigerians in diaspora viz: Cuisine beyond borders, establishment of Nigerian Heritage Houses and encouraging our teaming Diasporas to invest in the non-oil export sector
”More recently, we have developed the Zero Oil Plan, in response to this administration’s charge that Nigeria must begin to look for new drivers of the economy. The plan is Nigeria’s strategic effort to build an economy that does not need oil to survive and can serve as a major flagship economic programme for the country”, he added.
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