Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has partnered commercial banks to improve access to finance for small and medium-scale exporters in Plateau State as part of efforts to boost non-oil exports and strengthen the competitiveness of local businesses in international markets.
The initiative was highlighted on Thursday in Jos during a Strategic Partnership on SME Export Financing seminar organised by the council in collaboration with financial institutions operating in the state.
Speaking at the event, the North Central Zonal Coordinator of NEPC, Juliet Onmoke, said the council was encouraging exporters to scale up production, add value to their products and take advantage of available financing opportunities to grow their businesses.
According to her, access to finance remains critical for exporters seeking to expand operations and meet the demands of international markets.
“We continually call on the non-oil exporters in the state to increase what they are doing, add value to their craft and basically up their game and expand production. When you are talking of expanding production, that is where finances come in,” she said.
Onmoke noted that the council’s goal is to increase both the volume and value of exports from Plateau State, adding that exporters would need stronger financial backing to achieve that objective.
“Our mantra is ‘double your export’. We want the volume and value of exports on the Plateau to increase.
“So we encourage them to add value to their products and expand their production, thereby growing or doubling whatever they are producing,” she added.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, said the partnership with commercial banks was aimed at building a financial ecosystem that would enable Nigerian businesses to compete more effectively in global markets.
“Today’s partnership is not merely about financing. It is about creating the financial architecture that enables Nigerian enterprises to compete internationally.
“It is about transforming export potential into export performance, and export performance into sustainable national prosperity,” she said.
Ayeni explained that NEPC had increasingly shifted its focus beyond export promotion to facilitating export competitiveness by supporting exporters with market intelligence, quality assurance, capacity development, trade facilitation and access to finance.
She stressed that exporters require a comprehensive support system to succeed in international trade and maintain competitiveness.
Representatives of the Plateau State Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (PLASMEDA) and the Plateau State Ministry of Commerce and Industry also urged participants to maximise the opportunities provided by the seminar to strengthen their export businesses.
