Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has pledged its support for the enhancement of Ekiti State non-oil agricultural crop with export potential.
The state’s Commissioner for Investment, Trade and Industry, Aare Muyiwa Olumilua, made this known, on Monday, during a meeting with the Council Executive Director, Mr. Segun Awolowo, in Abuja.
The NEPC, as part of efforts to help promote agriculture as the mainstay of the state’s economy, called on the state to select a single crop for which it has the greatest comparative advantage.
Awolowo assured the state of his support to enable it achieve its goals in expanding its export capacity.
He stressed that NEPC was strongly driving the nation’s ‘Zero Oil Plan’ with the aim of diversifying Nigeria’s export capacity, and drastically reducing the country’s dependence on revenue from crude oil exports.
The Executive Director, while emphasising that NEPC was desirous of forging a strategic partnership with the state, disclosed that the Council had set up a field office in the state, apart from the regional office, to enable it work closer with the State Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry.
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Olumilua said that the State is blessed with fertile land noted that a large percentage of the population are farmers who are either into subsistence or commercial agriculture.
The commissioner said the state has comparative advantage in food and cash crops such as cassava, rice, yam, banana, cocoa, and cashew amongst others.
He expressed the readiness of the State government for strategic partnerships that will help maximise the potential in the agriculture sector.
