Birnin Kebbi – The North West zonal office of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has commenced training of entrepreneurs
and commodity groups on standard packaging of products in Kebbi.
The Zonal Comptroller of the organisation, Alhaji Muhammad Yusuf, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday that the training, which has “Promoting Export Through Understanding Export Procedures and Packaging” as its theme, would have 50 entrepreneurs and other members of commodity associations.
Yusuf said that the training would ensure that packaging met international standards and boost exports.
He added that the current economic situation was crippling the country due to over reliance on oil as the main foreign exchange earning, stressing that
the training would also enhance diversification of the economy.
The zonal comptroller said export sensitisation clinics would also be organised to pool entrepreneurs and commodity associations to interact on the benefits and need to embrace export trade for economic gains for the family and the country.
The Manager of Technology Incubation Centre in Kebbi, Alhaji Abubakar Kalgo, said participants would be engaged in productive activities that would expose them to modern packaging techniques.
He said “Kebbi has comparative advantage of being a border state with other countries and has marketable products such as shear butter, garlic and gum
Arabic for export.
“However, these marketable products require standard packaging for profitable export.”
The Permanent Secretary, Kebbi Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Tourism, Hajiya Fatima Ango, commended NEPC for organising the
training, saying it would encourage trade and commerce.
She said the state would collaborate with the Technology Incubation Centre on the revival of a shear nut processing plant centre established three years ago in
Tsamiya as part of efforts to diversify the state’s economy. (NAN)