The Federal Government will continue to support Nigerian exporters through its various agencies bringing about necessary reforms to boost the growth of the country’s non-oil exports, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
Osinbajo also urged exporters to take advantage of opportunities for growth in the African market through the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA.
The Vice President stated this on Wednesday when he received at the Presidential Villa, a delegation of major agro-exporters in the country.
The delegation came with the CEO/Executive Director of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Mr. Segun Awolowo, who formally developed a Zero-Oil Plan designed to move Nigeria away from being an oil-dependent economy.
Highlighting the approval of the National Development Plan on Wednesday by the Federal Executive Council, the VP stated that “One of the major components of that Plan is that we are trying to move away as much as possible from our dependence on oil and gas proceeds as our major sources of foreign exchange. You have seen a trend towards that in revenue figures.”
He further said, “We believe attention needs to be paid to exports generally. Of all the various plans of government that we have, one of the critical things for us now is that we all know that we are moving away very quickly from oil.”
Senior government officials at the meeting included the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Mariam Katagum; Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu; as well as representatives of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Customs Service.
Members of the delegation made up of leading exporters in the country include Chairman of Starlink Global Nigeria Ltd, Alhaji Adeyemi Adeniji; Managing Director of Grafil Farms Limited, Dr. Forster E. Ihejiofor; CEO of AJ’s Nigeria Limited, Mr John Oshevire and Chairman of Omonide Farms Limited, Mr Olumide Olayomi.
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