Nigeria, 13 other countries vie for Excellence in Trade Promotion Award

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has been nominated along side 13 other Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) for the 2022 World Trade Organisation (WTPO) Awards for Excellence in Trade Promotion.

NEPC, representing Nigeria is poised to clinch the “Best Use of a Partnership” category having been shortlisted along with Apex Brazil, Jamaica Promotion Corporation, Qatar Development Bank-Tesder and Saudi Export Development Authority.

The WTPO Award which is scheduled to hold tomorrow (17th May, 2022) in Accra, Ghana is open to all national TPOs. It recognises Excellence in providing Trade support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to become competitive in international trade.

In 2018, Nigeria, through NEPC won the award for the “Best initiative to Ensure that Trade is Inclusive and Sustainable”.

The NEPC won that category with its Zero to Export initiative which builds capacity of would-be exporters and SMEs on Export Procedures and Documentation as well as provide practical training on product sourcing and market access. This initiative trained 560 SMEs.

According to the International Trade Centre Executive Director, Pamela Coke-Hamilton “At a time when small firms have been hit by supply chain disruptions, climate change crises and other socio-economic challenges, it important to show inspiring models that connect small firms to Trade opportunities that are Inclusive and sustainable”.

The Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Dr. Ezra Yakusak will represent Nigeria at the Award Ceremony in which Austria, Canada, Malaysia, Tanzania are competing in the “Best use of Information Technology”.

Sri Lanka, Republic of Korea, Netherlands and Zimbabwe will vie for the “Best Initiative to Ensure that Trade is Inclusive and Sustainable category”.