Lagos – The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) would soon commence the training of no fewer than 1 million women on the prospects in non-oil exports.
Mr George Enyiekpon, Director, Export Development and Incentives, NEPC, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.
“The International Trade Centre will be coming over to Nigeria to train no fewer than 1 million Nigerian women on how to process and make shea butter , palm kernel, soaps, fabrics and other items that are globally acceptable.
“The training will also include how to benefit from the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) as it has also been one of our major concerns too.
“Most non-oil export businesses are run by women, and they need a lot of support to break through,” Enyiekpon said.
Enyiepkon said that the Director of the ITC, Arancha Gonzalez, would be in Nigeria to launch the programme soon.
She would be hosted by Mrs Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Muhammad Buhari, he said.
“We have so many programmes for women in exports, and in fact, there is a special unit in the NEPC that provides support for women in local produce suitable for exports.
“There are so many women in exports business, but we need to equip more of them on how they can export their items.
“Most of the women are clueless on what to do as regards exporting their items,’’ he said.
NAN reports that Mr Segun Awolowo, the Director-General of the NEPC, had in January said that the council was working towards increasing the volume of non-oil exports in Nigeria.
He said this would help to revive the falling exchange rate of the naira at the international market, generate revenue for the government and create more jobs (NAN).
