The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has been advised to leverage its power on promotions of the activities of the Council on Nigeria Media Practitioners, as media plays pivotal role in projecting the Nigeria economy to the outside world.
The State Coordinator of Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Mrs. Olajumoke Abolaji, gave the charge while addressing Information and Public Relations Officers at the Governor’s Office, Press Centre, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Delivering her lecture titled, “Roles of the Media in Promoting Nigeria’s Export Promotion Council and its activities”, said the media plays the role of projecting and disseminating of information to the targeted audience, hence the need for the synergy between Media and her Agency to help in ensuring that the activities of the agency get to the wider audience on non-oil sector of the economy, soliciting for media involvement in NEPC activities and programmes to boost and increase export businesses.
She noted that the era of Nigeria over dependent on oil sector was over, saying that the economy was now tilting towards the non-oil sector which anyone could start with less capital, explaining that agricultural produce like Cassava, Cashew nuts, Cocoa as well as strategic products like Adire, Vegetables and Ofada rice could be packaged and exported to another country which would in turn boost the Nigerian economy.
The NEPC boss stated that each State in Nigeria had State Committee on Export Promotion (SCEP), which plays advisory roles to export industries in Nigeria, adding that the export business was open to everyone, especially women, youths and physically challenged.
Contributing, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olu Ola Aikulola, who doubles as the SCEP Chairman, said the role of media in promoting agricultural value chain to outside world cannot be over-emphasised, thereby, calling for the need to promote the activities of the agency.
Dr. Aikulola revealed that non-oil export was a pocket friendly business which anyone could venture into irrespective of age.
Reacting, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Information Chapel, Mr. Femi Osipitan, represented by his Vice, Mrs. Bolaji Abiodun, appreciated the speakers, saying the lecture was an eye-opener to another stream of income in agriculture which could boost finances, while appealing to members to reflect on the benefits of the lecture.
