NEPC Strategic Meeting of Management and Regional Coordination on Post COVID-19 Operations.
The Executive Director/CEO of the NEPC, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo convened a meeting of all Management staff and Regional Coordinators overseeing the six Geographical Regions on plans to be adopted for a post Covid-19 export promotion strategy. The meeting which was held at the Conference Hall of the NEPC Headquarters, Abuja on Wednesday 19th August, 2020, created an avenue for cross fertilization of ideas among the top Management of the Council. The meeting also provided an avenue where the Regional Coordinators presented scorecard of activities in their respective Regions. Similarly, Directors also seized the opportunity to present the new innovations and departmental activities line up for implementation.
While addressing Participants, Mr. Awolowo stressed the importance of a deliberate grass root export promotion drive that will encompass all States of the Federation. He charged the Regional Officers to ensure full implementation of the One State One Product initiative based on the products already identified in each State. He further directed them to identify export related projects in their respective regions and obtain the buy-in of headquarters for implementation.
At the end of the meeting, a road map was adopted for a post Covid- 19 strategy for the promotion of non-oil export. This included careful identification and engagement of prospective exporters with a view to hand-holding them to become performing exporters. Furthermore, a deliberate focus on increased production of quick wins products, certification and food safety and value addition of MSME products was to be implemented among others.
At this juncture, the ED/CEO emphasized that all Regional Coordinators should work closely with representatives of Executive Governors’ on the National Committee on Export Promotion (NCEP) to ensure synergy and seamless interface on issues pertaining to non-oil export . He opined that COVID 19 has opened a vista of opportunity for the Council to intensify and sustain its aggressive export promotion drive. This opportunity, he said, must not be wasted.
