The Nigeria Export Promotion Council, NEPC, on Friday said between 2019-2021, Nigeria exported non-oil products worth $3.455billion.
The National Executive Director of NEPC, Ezra Yakusak, disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri while speaking on the non-oil export for survival agenda of NEPC.
Yakuzak who spoke through the Owerri, Head of Trade Promotion of NEPC, Anthony Ajuruchi, said it was possible because non-oil exports were becoming the expected economic diversification of the country.
He also mentioned that some of the non-oil products exported from Imo state between 2016 to 2021 are worth $2.3 million, adding that some of the non-oil products include Egusi, Ogiri, Uziza, bitter cola, palm canal shells, cashew nuts, Ogbono, crayfish, breadfruits among others.
He explained further, “From 2019-2021, non-oil exports statistics as presented by the pre-shipment inspection agents show that Nigeria exported non-oil products worth USD3.455billion in 2021. This figure is higher than that recorded in 2020 (USD2.210billion) representing an increase of 55.88%. Which also gave a positive growth of 35.83%, which also gave a positive growth of 35.83% when compared with the value exported in 2019. In like manner, this address will not be complete if I do not commend Imo exporters who in their little way contributed to the national figure above.”
“From 2016 to 2021, some exporters from Imo state exported our ethnic foods and other manufactured products worth over two million USD 2.3m to countries like Poland, USA, Dubai, Australia, Italy etc.
“It is clear that non-oil exports have become the only means of survival for Nigeria as a nation. This invites our entrepreneurs, especially women and the youths to now see non-oil exports as the only means of survival since the crude oil has failed to take Nigeria to the promised land. Non-oil exports is the nation’s expected diversification of the economy. Since the diversification of the project started, the special initiatives of the NEPC.
“like the zero oil plan and the economic recovery and growth plan of the federal government, have injected tangible growth in the nation’s economy, especially within the last 6 years with a progressive increase in the statistics of non-oil exports,” NEPC said.
