Marché Nouvelles

A Nigerian firm, Free on Board (FOB) Global Logistics, has secured a purchase order to supply 30 tonnes of yam, sweet potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables (including water leaves, garlic, ginger, and okra) to Europe weekly.

To maximize the opportunity, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in conjunction with FOB started sensitising non-oil exporters on how they can leverage the purchase order to boost Nigeria’s non-oil exports.

Executive Director of NEPC, Segun Arowolo, at a sensization workshop in Lagos, urged non-oil exporters to the multi-million naira deal.

Arowolo, who was represented by the South West Regional Coordinator of NEPC, Samuel Oyeyipo, said the deal was in line with the Federal Government’s policy to promote non-oil commodity export.

He encouraged vegetables and fresh fruit exporters to ensure they get certified by the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) and take other necessary steps to latch on to the business opportunity.

The NEPC boss said the council is working with NICERT Limited and the United States Agency for International Development to assist small businesses to secure the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP certification. The certification, he said, would help exporters to meet minimal international requirements.

Managing Director, FOB, Oluwajimi Adebakin, assured the exporters that the company and NEPC would take charge of freight/distribution costs and customs logistics.