The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adebayo, says Nigeria is leveraging on the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AFCFTA) to deepen its international trading through non-oil exports.
He said this at the interactive dinner for diplomatic corps and development partners in Abuja. Represented by the Director, Commodities and Export Department, Suleiman Audu, the Minister said the informal networking meeting with the diplomatic corps was apt as it will enhance the existing multilateral cordial relationship with Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the diplomatic community, the longest serving Ambassador to Nigeria Salaudeen Abbas who doubled as the Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps assured Nigeria of their support to cooperate in boosting international trade relations. He said in his fourteen years in Nigeria, it was the first time diplomats are brought together by an agency to interact and network with their host community in an informal manner.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Ezra Yakusak, who reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to collaborate with key stakeholders in developing and promoting the non-oil export sector said the diplomatic community has huge role to play in the diversification of the Nigerian economy.
He further said that NEPC had initiated the establishment of export trade houses under a public private partnership arrangement to further enhance the visibility of made in Nigeria products, facilitate market access and increase market share.
The NEPC boss however, expressed the council’s quest to facilitate small and medium enterprises’ acquisition of international certification to access non-oil market with premium pricing.
