BY BANYO TEMITAYO
DESPITE the Federal Government’s focus on non-oil earnings to tackle the negative consequences of the country’s over-reliance on oil, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council admitted, on Tuesday, that many Made-in-Nigeria products were rejected in the global market.
The Executive Director of NEPC, Segun Awolowo, who disclosed this, hinged the global rejection on the problem of quality, standard, certification and appropriate packaging for Made-in-Nigeria products destined for export.
He spoke during a one-day training for Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises on Packaging for exportable products, held in Kano.
According to him, the competitive nature of the global market would only allow products of high quality, which have relevant certifications, quality packaging and are environmentally friendly.
“Packaging is an essential component of product development in terms of quality/standard and market promotion. It is needless to point out that a good quality product without efficient packaging and labeling is as good as a bad product,” Awolowo said.
“Packaging and labeling is also a key factor that determines the sustainability of products in the foreign market. Internationally, Nigerian products meant for the export market are faced with inadequate packaging and labeling, which has caused a lot of product rejection in the global market,” he added.
He explained that the problem of quality, standard, certification and appropriate packaging for Made-in-Nigeria products destined for export had been an issue due to lack of awareness.
“In fact, the international market in its competitive nature, will only welcome products of high quality with relevant certifications and quality packaging that is environmentally friendly,” the ED said.
According to him, in most cases, packaging has often been approached from the viewpoint of providing safety for the product only, thereby neglecting the other qualities such as the aesthetics and nature of the packaging itself.
He said, “The market world has changed, giving more preference to products with good packaging system/certifications and edging out producers without certification on their products from the global market gradually.
“It is in recognition of the above that informed the Council’s efforts to support MSMEs. We are equally conducting training on export business through Zero to Export, export clinic and training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Storage Practices (GSP).”
