NEPC plans to launch zero-oil economic policy
Executive Director, NEPC, Olusegun Awolowo
As part of efforts to salvage the nation’s economy, Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Segun Awolowo has disclosed that a national action plan, targeting 11 strategic export products would be launched soon.
He said this in Abuja, when the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello paid him courtesy visit.Awolowo said the scheme, known as zero-oil plan, would target 21 priority countries where the demands for such products are already waiting.
He added that among the key ministries that would help in driving the project are, the Nigerian Shippers Council, Ministry of Finance, the Nigerian Customs and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The NEPC boss explained that the council, which has begun wide consultations to identify stakeholders for the partnership, is to work closely with the Nigerian Shippers Council to drive the objective of the scheme.
“The products include petrochemicals, palm oil, cocoa, soybeans, rubber etc. To achieve this, Nigeria must scale up domestic production to unprecedented level and create competitive channels to transport cargo and other goods into foreign markets,” he said.
He said the plan is to ensure a marked increase in the total non-oil export volumes in Nigeria, which is expected to grow by 70 million tons.According to him, the feat would be propelled by the upgrade of major transport corridors to get goods from Nigeria’s hinterlands to where they are needed.
The plan, he further disclosed is to facilitate export intermediaries to source products from millions of micro, small and medium sized enterprises, thereby providing employment for millions of youth across the country.
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3 Comments
My dear Awolowo, in the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, we were at the forefront of export. Export of raw materials, including and most especially cocoa, palm oil and the likes. This was over 50 years ago.
Now, after the Nigerian state has indulged you, Awolowo (due to your pedigree and heritage) with state funds in various ways for decades, are you telling Nigerians who expect you with all your superior education, institutional access and management experience that all you can think of 50 YEARS LATER is STILL to boost the EXPORT of same RAW MATERIALS?
Abeg God, help us nah. Help us from these intellectual midgets masquerading as specialists and technocrats. The question you must ask yourself Awolowo is, those whom we are supposed to export our raw materials, what do they use these raw materials for? Who buys the products from the use of our exported raw materials? Do they buy the products from the (processed) raw materials in naira? If we now export our raw materials abroad, and the so-called importer processes ot abroad, does he not employ his people to process the raw materials? So they gain employment from buying our raw materials. Do we not lose the employment we would have had if these were processed in Nigeria? So we lose employment. Awolowo, is this the best you can come up with? Seriously?
If our so-called technocrats who have been over-indulged and spoon-fed by our commonwealth are too lazy to think outside the box and be innovative and forward-thinking, why wont we continue to have zillion unemployed Nigerians? Is there any surprise that Nigeria is where she is today? Still exporting raw materials – crude oil, cocoa, palm oil, soyabeans, cassava, rubber and the likes. AND, most tragic of all, importing the finished product from the exported raw material at over tens and hundreds of dollars more than what we are or were paid for the formerly raw materials.
This is what you get when you use ethnicity, who-know-man and the resultant death of merit to power your systems and country. I hope Nigerians will one day learn from the depth of sickness we have found ourselves. Giving employment and positions of responsibility to people simply because they are our brother, sister, son, daughter, relative, from my state, village, related to a politician or power-that-be or whatever, leads to nowhere.
MERIT, is key. Meanwhile, Awolowo, i am sure you can do better. Please put on your thinking cap or alternatively, move on. We need betters
Good idea and hope the implementation will go well and effectively.
“”White Forelock”
We will review and take appropriate action.