Nigeria to stop exporting raw materials – NEPC

From Akilani Abdullah, Lagos

The Executive Director/ CEO, Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Olusegun Awolowo has said Nigeria will stop exporting raw materials to other countries.

According to him, the decision will increase the abilities of the Nigerian exporters to expand into the West African market which is especially important at this moment.

Awolowo revealed this while speaking at the NEPC’s one day capacity building workshop tagged ‘Strategies for Perpetrating West African Market’ held at Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN) House yesterday in Lagos.

He said the decision would be considered extremely important as Nigeria seek to improve market access and make inroad to the heart of economic growth and development into the West African market.

“In the export Market, what we are looking into now is that we want to stop exporting raw materials; because, you don’t create a value-chain with raw materials.

“But when we stop exporting raw materials, and start processing, producing, manufacturing here (Nigeria) and we start taking it abroad, we would start a Nigeria brand based on qualities and we can dominate the ECOWAS countries:, he said.

However, Awolowo later assured that with the over 28 billion US dollars’ worth of investment coming to Africa, Nigeria have what it takes to take the rightful opportunity amongst the top global economies and be a manufacturing hub.

Also speaking, the Director-General, Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Muda Yusuf, made it known that the workshop is to create awareness for the exporters of Nigeria on the need for export products to be of high standards in order for Nigeria to achieve its potentials of becoming the biggest export traders in West Africa.

“The whole idea is to see how we can give an insight into what, industrially, the exporter can do to improve competitively in the export market”, he said.