Some business owners into exportation in Nigeria recently gathered in for a 5-day intensive program focused on equipping entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge needed to explore international market opportunities and strengthen their capacity to thrive in the export sector.
Fidelity Bank Plc organised the training in collaboration with the Lagos Business School (LBS) under the Export Management Programme (EMP 18).
The initiative provided an opportunity for participants to scale and acquire relevant expertise to succeed in the non-oil export business.
Facilitated by key industry experts in the exports space, EMP 18 took participants through several sessions focused on critical areas in global trade such as Export Finance Instruments, Export Documentation, and Accessibility of Export Markets, amongst others.
A key feature of the training was a facility tour of one of Nigeria’s busiest Export Processing Terminals (EPT) located in Ikorodu, Lagos state. The full-day visit, which was anchored by officials of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), gave participants a first-hand feel of the necessary procedure and requirements for securing regulatory approval for exporting from Nigeria.
One of the participants, Mr Patrick Ulayi Awu-Patricks, the chief executive of Alliance & Frontier Limited, commended Fidelity Bank for its leadership in deploying capacity-building initiatives in the non-oil exports sector.
In a discussion with journalists, he stated that EMP 18 provided invaluable exposure to the opportunities in the export business, noting, “There are lots of non-oil export opportunities, and entrepreneurs must be able to identify and capitalize on these to play effectively in the international trade space. This course has given me insights into the power of data, which is essential for strategic decision-making.”
Also, the Divisional Head of Export and Agriculture at Fidelity Bank, Mr Isaiah Ndukwe, said, “At Fidelity Bank, our strategy to enhance non-oil exports is guided by the significant opportunities it offers to our customers and the national economy. This is why we offer a comprehensive suite of financial, advisory, and market-access solutions for businesses aiming to engage in international trade.
“Our market-access initiative, EMP, launched in 2016, has trained over 1,600 entrepreneurs. Today, we completed the 18th cohort with high-calibre participants and a 150 per cent oversubscription. This indicates a promising future for Nigeria’s non-oil exports.”
