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The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has stated that over 154 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the country within the past two (2) years have benefited from the Council’s certification sponsorship programme aimed at empowerment that promotes quality for the companies thereby reducing cases of product rejection in the international market.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, the Executive Director of NEPC, Dr Ezra Yakusak said “I am also pleased to inform you that under our “Go Global Go for Certification” initiative, a programme that seeks to enhance global market access for Nigerian products, through the implementation of Voluntary Certification like HACCP, FDA, HALAL, etc., the Council had fully sponsored the implementation of HACCP, FDA, HALAL and ISO22000 for 154 MSMEs in the last 2 years.”
He explained that “as part of the Council’s #Export4Survival campaign, the Agency is undertaking full sponsorship of HACCP and FDA for 200 MSMEs companies. This is to commence immediately. It is worthy of mention that 80% of the beneficiaries of the NEPC-sponsored certification programme are women-owned businesses.
“Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, this morning, I will be presenting certificates to representatives of 101 SMEs that benefited from our certification programme this year. I am also flagging off the certification process of 200 SMEs by presenting approval letters to their representatives.
“May I state clearly that this is a fully sponsored scheme with the NEPC bearing 100% of the financial burden? We are doing this to put a stop to the incessant cases of Export rejects of our products and also increase the competitiveness of our products in foreign markets” he stated.
Yakusak noted that NEPC has initiated programmes that would encourage more women and youths to participate in the export industry.
“All over the world, Women and youths are regarded as critical change agents in any economy. They also account for a substantial portion of economic production and GDP in every economy of the world.
“Their numerical strength, dynamism, enthusiasm, energy, and a positive disposition to break new frontiers in business are critical resources that can be channelled into non-oil export business to achieve economic diversification, industrialization, employment generation, food security and poverty alleviation.”
Under the category of the Go Global initiative of NEPC, a beneficiary who has been exporting processed food for the past eighteen (18) months, Adayomi Ruth Oluwatoyin, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Worthy Life Nigeria Limited commended the Council for the programme.
She said the certification of MSMEs has improved standards of non-oil export products from Nigeria, thereby reducing the number of cases of product rejection.
Another participant, Engr. Chike James, the CEO of Inoueight Food System Ltd under the category of the companies that have been selected for certification is hopeful that the programme will build a platform that will give his company access to the international market.
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NEPC sponsors certification of 154 MSMEs for export in two years
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