The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has described loan and grant facilities provided by the Federal Government as viable tools for expanding Nigeria’s export trade. Mr. Anthony Ajuruchi, NEPC Coordinator in Imo State, stated this at an engagement forum with non-oil exporters and trade-related agencies, organised by the council in Owerri on Wednesday.
Ajuruchi said government support would enable the export market in Imo and across the country to expand and compete globally. He urged exporters in the state to take advantage of the soft loans and grants available to grow their businesses.
Also speaking, Mr. Austin Ikeh, Imo/Abia Coordinator of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), said the forum created an opportunity to engage stakeholders across the export value chain. He noted that collaboration with the Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank would strengthen government’s support for farmers and exporters.
Ikeh advised exporters to obtain the necessary certifications from regulatory agencies and deepen their knowledge of export processes to fully access government interventions.
On his part, Mr. Freeman Godwin, Chief Executive Officer of Belarhem Dynamic International Ventures, an exporter of edible food items, highlighted poor handling of goods by airline operators as a key challenge.
“Sometimes, I’ve had to count my losses after damages to my goods at warehouses due to poor preservation and management by airlines. Exporters cannot afford to waste loan facilities under such conditions,” he said.
 has described loan and grant facilities provided by the Federal Government as...){kind=link}