The Federal Government on Monday said earnings from the nation’s non-oil export must grow by over $20bn from its current $1.3bn, if it must make an impact in the economy.

The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Chief Charles Ugwu, said this in Abuja when he hosted the Board of Trustees of the National Agricultural Foundation led by the former Governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu. According to the minister, the government was ready to review the huge amount of money it spends on promoting non-oil export without much value, adding that it was looking for new strategies to enhance non-oil export to earn revenue.

He said, “We aim to push for a re-examination of the participation of the ministry in different exhibitions, trade and road shows in different parts of the world.
“The government shall henceforth introduce new ideas and strategies on how it can better promote export of non-oil products and services in order to increase revenue for development of the economy.”

Ugwu added that the activities of the National Agriculture Foundation was paramount to the economic plans of the nation, especially the presentation of local products for which the country had comparative advantage. He expressed delight on the restoration of the National Agriculture Show by the foundation, adding that the event would open up the markets in the country as well as create opportunities for presenting Nigeria’s agro-economy to the world.

“The activities of the foundation would in no small measure support government’s ambition to grow the non-oil export in line with our dream of becoming one of the 2o most industrialized nations by the year 2020,” he stated.

He said his focus would be to improve those areas of the non-oil economy that Nigeria had clear disadvantage such as land tilling tools, packaging, promotion of sales and improvement of technology and competitiveness of local products.

He said, “Focus should also be in improving our fiscal policies and other economic measures which would place Nigeria in a prime and competitive position to reap from the globalised economy.”
Speaking during the visit, the former governor of Nasarawa State noted that the foundational had the responsibility of organising agricultural shows in the country under the public-private partnership.

Adamu pointed out that the foundation had been in partnership with the Royal Agriculture Society of London, which had a lot of experience in organizing agriculture shows in London, for the forthcoming National Agriculture show in October, 2008.

Source: Punch