NEPC blames agric export neglect on petroleum

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has blamed the decline on agricultural exports on the easy cash flow from petroleum.

The South-South Regional Coordinator of NEPC, Mrs Ikejiofor Azuka stated this in Port Harcourt yesterday at the stakeholders forum on the revised guidelines on export expansion grant scheme.

She stated that before the advent of crude oil in export quantity agricultural products were the major export products of Nigeria.

She said that the neglect and diminution in export statues was not as a result of weak market demand saying that agricultural exports were deluded by the easy cash flow from petroleum.

She added that the current slide in crude oil price has awakened Nigerians on the need to diversify and move away from mono product economy.

She reiterated that federal government in 2014 listed 13 strategic exports drawn from three core areas of Agro industrial, mining and oil and gas industries to replace crude oil.

She said “it is a known fact that before the advent of crude oil in export quantity, agricultural products were the major export products of Nigeria”

“Their neglect and diminution in export status was not as a result of weak market demand rather, we were deluded by the easy cash flow from petroleum”