A major corporate focus of Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in the coming months will be systematic involvement of many Nigerian youths in exporting Nigerian products to African countries and the world at large.
This was revealed to newsmen at the weekend in Abuja by Mr. Segun Awolowo Jr., Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director of the Council,
Awolowo said the determination of NEPC to get many Nigerian youths involved in the export sector of the economy -which, indeed, started in his first tenure -was not only as a result of its prospect as foreign exchange earner for Nigeria, but because of its high potentials in reducing unemployment and crime rate in Nigeria.
He said NEPC’s drive to focus on youth involvement in the export business was to build on the Council’s past activities in this direction and make the export sector more vibrant and competitive giving the budding energy of the Nigerian youths.
This, he explained, was exemplified by their strides in music globally in the past two decades, saying ” the value chains in getting the youth to embrace export of Nigerian product, particularly agriculture and creating the enabling environment for increased and sustainable production will generate massive employment for the nation’s teeming youth population.”
Awolowo said he was looking at partnering with the leadership of NYSC for youth training in specific areas for export, that the premium attention would be paid to fashion industry and agriculture, particularly fish and cotton production as well as leather works.
Responding to a question, he agreed that there was direct correlation between youth unemployment and issues of insecurity like armed banditry, kidnapping and other criminalities currently rife in the country, maintaining that dealing with these issues should not the left to the government and security agents alone.
Awolowo said that if more youths were gainfully involved in export business in Nigeria, he was of the view there would be drastic reduction in issues of kidnapping, armed banditry, armed robbery and the notorious foreign journeys through Sahara to Europe and other parts of the world to seek greener pastures.
