By Ojugbele Omotunde
In a significant move towards improving the quality of its exported products, with a particular focus on cashew and rice, Nonye Ayeni, the Executive Director and CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), unveiled an ambitious plan during an interactive session with stakeholders in the rice and cashew value chains in Abuja recenetly.
Ayeni highlighted the pivotal role of adhering to approved agricultural standards, emphasizing that exporters who do so would not only enhance their global sales but also contribute to the nation’s revenue and bolster the export sector as a whole.
This strategic endeavor has been facilitated by the “Market-Oriented Value Chains for Jobs and Growth in the ECOWAS Region (GIZ-MOVE),” a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between NEPC and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in August 2023.
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Notable statistics were shared by Ayeni, revealing that Nigeria had produced 5.4 million metric tons of milled rice and approximately 300,000 metric tonnes of raw cashew nuts in 2022.
Furthermore, the deliberate inclusion of small, medium, and large-scale farmers, aggregators, processors, service providers, and exporters in this initiative was emphasized.
The program will feature a mini display of products, facilitating real-time assessment of the current production, packaging, and labeling standards.
The NEPC’s commitment to enhancing the quality of exported goods, coupled with the focus on cashew and rice, aims to raise the standard of Nigerian products in the global market, ultimately contributing to increased export revenue and economic growth.
This initiative also signifies the importance of involving various stakeholders in the process to ensure a holistic improvement in product quality and standards.
