NEPC Urges Exporters to Leverage FG Loans, Tackle Sector Challenges

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has highlighted government-backed loans and grants as critical tools for advancing export trade in the country. This was disclosed by the Imo State Coordinator of NEPC, Mr. Anthony Ajuruchi, during a stakeholder engagement with non-oil exporters and trade-related agencies held in Owerri on Wednesday.

Ajuruchi emphasized that such financial support from the Federal Government and its agencies could enable Imo State, and Nigeria in general, to strengthen their export capacity and remain competitive in global markets. He encouraged exporters in the region to take full advantage of available soft loan and grant opportunities to scale their operations.

Also speaking at the forum, Mr. Austin Ikeh, the Imo/Abia Coordinator for the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), noted that the event created a platform to engage stakeholders across the agricultural value chain. He stated that through partnerships with institutions like the Nigeria Export-Import Bank, the government is positioned to offer support to both farmers and exporters. Ikeh urged exporters to obtain proper certifications and acquire relevant knowledge to better access these support systems.

Meanwhile, Mr. Freeman Godwin, CEO of Belarhem Dynamic International Ventures, a company engaged in the export of edible food products, identified poor handling of goods by airline operators as a key challenge. He called for better preservation and cargo management, stressing that such issues could lead to losses that render financial aid ineffective.