Latest News | News Break Nigeria Stakeholders in the governance and non-oil exports sector have advised the country’s non-oil exporters to add value to their products, embrace innovation and technology, while ensuring that their products are properly packaged if they are desirous of competing favourably in the international market. Ibikunle Amosun, executive governor, Ogun State, said it was essential for non-oil exporters to process their raw materials, rather than push them out in raw forms, in order to boost their value and competitiveness in the global market. He said this during the courtesy visit of members of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) to mark the chamber’s 54th annual general meeting/conference. Amosun informed the association that Ogun State was currently the most industrialised state in the country, with over 46 industries operating within. Badaru Mohammed Abubakar, national president, NACCIMA, said boosting the country’s non-oil exports required adequate packaging and labelling; establishment of border markets at strategic locations; adequate funding of non-oil commodities; development of infrastructure; and provision of logistics to support supply value added chain. He added that focus on commodities the country has comparative and competitive advantages ; increase in dominance of primary commodities ;high productive capacity; empowerment of small medium scale enterprises (SMEs) through entrepreneurship; and development of Agro-allied industries, were also issues that must be taken seriously. According to him, new job creation with high-tech, high-value, innovative and non-commodity items were needed, adding that these could be made a reality through the joint efforts of governments at different levels and the private sector operators ‘’Indeed, to continue to remain competitive in the global markets, it is important to keep investing in capacity building of local manufacturing jobs. This does not mean replacement of the old-style, labour-intensive factory jobs; those have already disappeared in the last century. The prevailing wisdom of lower-cost, higher-volume manufacturing is clearly wrong,’’ he said. Olusegun Awolowo, CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) enumerated critical issues for global competitiveness to include quality, packaging, pricing and promotion; value addition, phyto-sanitary, standardisation, compliance with best practices, research & development as well as technology and innovation. ODINAKA ANUDU
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 00:38:04 +0000
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