Nigerian exporters have been urged to tap into an opportunity offered by the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in order to earn foreign exchange and reduce pressure on the local currency.
Consequently, Comfort Sakoma, chief executive officer of Poize Capital Global has promised to help a minimum of 20 Nigerian brands export to the US under AGOA by 2020.
“I call this my vision 2020. I am willing to connect our best brands to my extensive network of US buyers from major retailers, hospitality companies, grocery stores and others”, Sakoma said at Nigerian-American breakfast meeting on “Driving Growth in the Non-Oil Sector”, hosted in Lagos by Fidelity Bank plc.
In his keynote address, Nnamdi Okonkwo, managing director/CEO of Fidelity bank highlighted some of the key imperatives to fast track growth in the non-oil sector, which include infrastructure development, Intra-Regional Trade Enhancement, Security and Enabling Business Environment, Increased Focus on Agriculture Valuechain, and Export Trade Facilitation among others.
Represented by Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, executive Director, Lagos and South-west, Fidelity Bank, he said Nigeria has over 5,000 exportable commodities and manufactured products- NEPC These range from the basic cash crops (i.e. Cocoa, Cashew, Rubber, etc.) to our petrochemicals industries and solid minerals.
He said The Entertainment Industry is also one of the fastest growing export opportunities hubs in the country (examples of Music and Home video “exports”).
“Nigerian music is becoming sensational in leading clubs across Africa, Europe and America…”, he added.
