By Nkechinyere Ewa
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has urged entrepreneurs and small business owners in Ebonyi State to embrace quality standards, proper packaging and product certification to position their products for international markets.
The council made the call during a one-day Made-in-Ebonyi Product Exhibition organised by its Ebonyi State Coordinating Office in Abakaliki to showcase locally produced goods and promote non-oil exports.
The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, represented by the state coordinator, Okechukwu Amaechi, said the exhibition was designed to connect local producers with potential buyers, attract investment and expand market opportunities for products made in the state.
Ayeni said Nigeria’s non-oil export sector generated about $6.1 billion in export receipts in 2025, an 11.5 per cent increase from $5.46 billion recorded in 2024, describing the development as an opportunity for Ebonyi to contribute more significantly to the country’s export growth.
She identified rice, cassava, palm oil, processed foods and solid minerals as products with export potential, but stressed that businesses must meet the quality, safety, packaging and certification requirements of their target markets.
She also highlighted NEPC’s support for eligible food processors and agricultural commodity exporters through international certification programmes, including Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), to improve product safety and competitiveness.
President of the Coalition of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Ozoemena Njoku, urged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the exhibition to acquire knowledge, improve their products and build partnerships with relevant regulatory agencies.
Njoku said Ebonyi had abundant agricultural and mineral resources that could generate employment and foreign exchange if properly developed for export.
He, however, identified inadequate access to finance as a major challenge facing MSMEs, calling on the state and federal governments to strengthen support for businesses seeking to expand beyond the domestic market.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ebonyi State Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Business Development, Dr Ekuma Mojibade, said the state government was committed to helping entrepreneurs improve their products and access wider markets.
Mojibade, who chairs the state’s Committee on Export Promotion, said the committee worked with relevant agencies to guide businesses on product registration, certification and other requirements for export.
She urged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the available support, noting that exporting could increase business revenue, generate foreign exchange and contribute to the state’s economic development.
In a presentation, Emeka Orajaka, Deputy Director and NAFDAC State Coordinator, emphasised the importance of product registration, good manufacturing practices, proper labelling and hygienic production.
He warned that poor-quality and adulterated products could endanger public health and lead to rejection at international borders.
Orajaka urged producers of regulated products, particularly processed foods, cosmetics and packaged water, to comply with applicable standards, adding that proper certification would improve consumer confidence and access to export markets.
Steve Odo, Ebonyi commissioner for Business development and a representative of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), also spoke on quality standards and market access.
The exhibition brought together entrepreneurs and stakeholders in the agricultural, manufacturing and export sectors to showcase locally made products and explore opportunities for business growth.