NEPC, JETRO collaborate on product profiling
The
Nigerian Export Promotion Council is partnering the Japan External
Trade Organisation to train Nigerian manufacturers on the importance of
product and business profiling.
The bodies explained during a workshop
organised to strengthen their ties in Lagos that profiling enhances the
acceptance of products and their producers in the market.
The Acting Zonal Coordinator, NEPC,
Lagos, Mrs. Evelyn Obidike, said the training was necessary because many
exporters did not understand the importance of branding their products
to meet international standards.
She said, “We observed that some of our
exporters still don’t understand the importance of creating profiles for
their products and market, especially to Japan.
“This is why we have brought experts
from Japan to explain what is needed to meet the standards of Japan and
other international markets.”
She explained that apart from the
workshop, other events were being organised to ensure that exporters
took full advantage of the opportunities in their trade.
She said, “We also have a trade
exhibition, otherwise known as Food Fair. It is aimed at promoting the
development and diversification of Nigeria’s export trade; assisting in
promoting the development of export-oriented industries; providing
technical assistance to local exporters in such areas as export
procedure and documentation, transportation, financing, marketing
techniques, quality control, export packaging, costing and pricing,
publicity and in other similar areas.”
While urging Nigerians to patronise
locally-made products, Obidike advised manufacturers to get accustomed
to export market requirements.
She said that apart from exposing the
exporters to opportunities in Japanese markets, Nigeria had yet to
maximise exports across countries of the globe, adding that it was
important to develop exportation of value-added products to other
countries and boost earnings from non-oil exports.
The Trade Commissioner, JETRO, Lagos,
Taku Hiroki, during the inspection of the exporters’ products, urged
them to improve on their packaging.
He explained that goods in the Japanese
market were graded based on the quality of products, packaging, product
and business profiling, and standardisation certification.
He said, “Before starting a business,
Japanese companies tend to do a thorough research about the profiles of
the companies and the products involved. It is better to encourage
exporters to start with semi-processed raw agricultural products in
order to enhance market penetration.”
Executive Secretary, Cocoa Processors
Association of Nigeria, Mr. Felix Oladunjoye, who commended the
organisations for the workshop, said the training had exposed the
participants to the standard and requirements of the Japanese market.
CULLED FROM: PUNCH NEWSPAPERS
August 21, 2013 by Sodiq Oyeleke
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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