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FG, investors target women to raise N2.13tr non-oil revenue

By Kingsley Jeremiah, Abuja
12 October 2021   |   4:01 am
The Federal Government is targeting women as part of plans to raise the contribution of non-oil revenue to meet yearly budgetary provision.

Executive Director, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Olusegun Awolowo

The Federal Government is targeting women as part of plans to raise the contribution of non-oil revenue to meet yearly budgetary provision.

While the proposed 2022 budget seeks to raise about N2.13 trillion from non-oil revenue, the Federal Government, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), yesterday, revealed plans to engage about 100 women to drive export from the non-oil segment of the economy.

The 100 women, according to documents obtained by The Guardian in Abuja, would be trained under the Export Expansion Facility Programme (EEFP) implemented in partnership with Agrochains Consult.

Already, the Federal Government has set aside N2.3 trillion to drive the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP), which houses the EEFP, an initiative designed to protect export businesses from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, safeguard jobs and de-risk the economy from future shocks by focusing on driving economic growth through exports.

Coming on the backdrop of the implementation of the African Free Trade Agreement, the Executive Director, NEPC, Olusegun Awolowo, linked the initiative to the progress women-owned businesses have made in driving Nigeria’s non-oil export ecosystem.

He said: “The training of 100 women-owned businesses on export readiness is part of our efforts to achieve inclusion and effective participation of women in the non-oil export sector.”

Awolowo disclosed that the Federal Government was committed to raising an army of exporters that would drive non-oil exports and promote the diversification of Nigeria’s export portfolio for inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

He disclosed that the five days training would institutionalise the inclusion of more women-led SMEs into the non-oil export ecosystem with targeted training on improved packaging, branding, standardised certifications and knowledge of relevant international trade agreements which will in turn help the businesses to access new global markets.

The Chief Executive Officer of Agrochains Consult, Titi Ojo, noted that the training would enable women to leverage institutional partnerships to develop export competencies of their businesses.

The training will equally support the women with improved packaging, branding, standardized certification and knowledge of trade agreements and market requirements.

Ojo pledged the organisation’s commitment beyond the training, noting that a six-month mentorship programme has been structured to ensure participants get to export with the support of experienced mentors.

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