The Nigerian Export Promotion Council has expressed its commitment to ensure that in 2023, Nigeria makes more than $4.82bn it generated from non-oil export business in 2022.

Ekiti State Coordinator, NEPC, Mrs Iyabode Abe, said that the Council under the leadership of the Chief Executive Officer, Yakussak Ezra, “Will continue to promote the development of non-oil export in other to safeguard the nation’s economy.”

Abe spoke in Ado Ekiti at a-one day technical and training session on product packaging for exporters and Small and Medium Enterprises in Ekiti State.

“Over $4.82bn was generated from the non-oil export business in the year 2022 as a result of the Council’s effort in promoting non-oil export which jacked up the Gross Domestic Product economy of the country by 15 per cent,” she said

The event was organised by NEPC where the Council donated two packaging machines to be domiciled at the Technical Incubation Centre in the capital city for use by SMEs in the state to package their products.

She said that the Council was committed to stepping up efforts to promote non-export through training programmes, “That will expose SMEs to some technicalities of export business for them to have clear competitive edge in the global market.”

The coordinator, who described the population of Nigeria SMEs as one of the greatest assets of the country in its economic diversification agenda, urged the entrepreneurs on product packaging and labelling, which she described as essential driver for a sustainable marketing of made in Nigeria products in the export market.

The Special Adviser to Ekiti State Governor on Trade and Investment, Mrs Omotayo Adeola, who lauded NEPC for the training and donation, said that “the Biodun Oyebanji-led State Government is very keen on providing support and guidance to our SMEs to help them upscale and increase production.”