The Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi, highlighted the significant opportunity for Nigeria to boost its foreign exchange reserves and strengthen the national currency, the naira, through the export of agricultural commodities like cocoa, cashew, sesame seeds, palm oil, and other tropical products. Speaking at the Bureau’s lunch-time seminar in Abuja, he emphasized that the export of processed and value-added agricultural goods, alongside traditional products, could open up new markets and generate higher revenues.
To achieve this goal, Arabi suggested embracing technological advancements and promoting agro-processing industries. By doing so, not only would the quality of exports improve, but also access to higher-value global markets would be enhanced.
The seminar, themed “Reform Measures the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has put in place to Diversify the Economy: Challenges and Way Forward,” featured Dr. Ezra Yakusak, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria of the NEPC, as the guest speaker.
Arabi stressed the importance of diversifying the economy and increasing export activities to achieve sustainable development and reduce vulnerability to global economic fluctuations. He believed that by focusing on promoting indigenous goods and services, Nigeria could explore new markets, create more employment opportunities for its citizens, and boost the overall competitiveness of Nigerian products in the international arena.
Historically, agriculture has been the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, providing livelihoods for many citizens. Arabi advocated for maximizing the potential of arable land and investing in modern agricultural practices to significantly increase agricultural exports and foreign currency earnings. Revitalizing and modernizing the agricultural sector, he argued, would not only strengthen food security but also capitalize on the rising global demand for high-quality agricultural products.
