The British Government, through the Prosperity Fund’s Global Trade Programme (GTP), is providing export intervention programmes to export coaches and Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) interested in exporting to the international markets (including the UK).
This was disclosed by Ndidiamaka Eze, the Public Affairs Officer for the British Deputy High Commission, Lagos.
This intervention is in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), in furtherance to the MoU signed in August, 2019 to increase bilateral trade relations by exploring other business potential outside the non-oil sector.
The 3-stage programme is aimed at bridging the gap that exists between Nigerian businesses (especially SMEs) and the international market, including the UK.
The first stage is a selection process, followed by the deployment of technical trainings and assistance to selected SMEs and export coaches, and finally support for B2B linkages with international market actors.
Speaking about the partnership, the CEO, NEPC, Mr Olusegun Awolowo, said “the intervention will provide the beneficiaries with technical knowledge that will in turn boost economic growth and combat poverty for sustainable development.”
The programme has now commenced the second stage with the technical training exercise, which was held at the NEPC Lagos office from 8th – 10th October 2019.
“The UK already has a strong bilateral trade relationship with Nigeria and this intervention will provide technical assistance to export promotion agencies and Nigerian SMEs, and facilitate direct B2B linkage. The broad aim is to expand the non-oil export market in Nigeria, reduce poverty and promote a socially inclusive economic growth,” the Global Trade Programme Adviser, Obosi Philip, said.
A beneficiary of the programme, Mr Victor Legogie, CEO, Asanita Agricultural Processing Company Limited, said he was elated to be part of the recipients. “My enterprise has always been looking forward to programmes to support on accessing technical information to boost our export business. This programme with its trainings has provided the technical know-how on non-oil export to competitive markets such as the UK. We are also excited with the follow up activities which includes facilitating direct B2B linkages with the international market.”
