The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM) have certified some products made by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) suitable for export.
The agencies gave the certification at an exhibition held for MSMEs that were shortlisted for the maiden National MSMEs Awards in Abuja last week.
Chief Executive Officer, NEPC, Segun Awolowo, expressed satisfaction with many of the products on display, noting that they were export ready. He applauded the ingenuity and creative ability of Nigerians, adding that he was convinced that the country had a lot more resources than oil.
While acknowledging that the products were export ready, he said that part of the aim of the award was also to get the MSMEs recognized enough to get good partnerships that could lead to exports.
Awolowo said the Council would give the awardees with the relevant support to help them export their products, explaining that the ‘Zero to Export’ clinics of NEPC would be very beneficial to them.
He stated: “There are different categories of course: the one you take to Central Africa is different from the one you take to America or to Australia, so we look at it and we get them ready.”
Speaking on the Issue of funding, Managing Director of NEXIM, Mr Abba Bello, noted that the National MSMEs Clinic was initiated to link small businesses with access to funds.
“BOI, DBN which is a bank specific for MSMEs and NEXIM are all part of this. So as far as funding is concerned, we are assisting as much as we can to ensure that the right kind of funding are given,” he said.
On patronage, Special Assistant to the Vice President on MSMEs, Mr Tola Adekunle Johnson, assured that the government was doing everything possible to engender patronage of locally produced goods.
“You are aware of the local content policy; the government is very serious about that: patronizing made in Nigeria goods is at the heart of the policies of the administration and the government is pushing to get it right,” he stated.