The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has graduated its seven staff on the Nigeria ginger sustainability project, to establish a resilient and competitive ginger industry across the country.

Nonye Ayeni, director-general of the council, said this at the inauguration/graduation ceremony of Export Support Officers/Product Specialists (ESOs) in Abuja on Wednesday.

The ESOs, which are under the NEPC and Centre for the Promotion of Imports (CBI) from developing countries, graduated on the Nigeria Ginger Sustainability Project 2021 to 2025.

Ms Ayeni said that the NEPC collaborated with the CBI and inaugurated the project in 2021, with the vision to establish a resilient, competitive, and sustainable ginger industry to meet international standards.

“This vision was driven by the understanding that Nigerian ginger is not just a commodity; it is a global product with unmatched flavour, pungency, and medicinal properties, capable of competing in the most demanding markets.

“The project was structured to build the capacity of our ginger companies to consistently meet the requirements of the European Union and other international markets.

“Also to strengthen the role of Export Support Officers as specialised advisers and catalysts for growth within the ginger value chain,” she said.

The director-general said that 17 ginger companies and 10 ESOs were selected at the commencement of the programme, adding that 14 companies and seven ESOs have been able to complete the programme.

According to her, I understand the ESOs went through a rigorous training programme which was a combination of theory and practice delivered physically and virtually.

She said that the training was delivered over a period of three years with several hours of lectures, workshops, training, and individual and group assignments.

She added that the ESOs and all staff members of the NEPC, by virtue of this intensive programme, had now become sectoral experts in ginger.

Ms Ayeni said that they also had been managing the relationship with the main companies in the project, adding that the programme was a pilot that developed internal capacities specialised in the ginger sector.

She said the graduands provided a better service to exporting companies, both from the technical dimension of the product, the technical topics on export promotion, and the managerial competencies to adequately manage key clients.

She said that the market Orientation Mission to the Netherlands and France in 2022, and the forthcoming Food Ingredients Fair in Paris in November and December 2025, were organised under the project.

According to the director-general, these have not only opened new opportunities for exporters but have also showcased Nigerian ginger as a premium product on the global stage.

Ms Ayeni said that participation in the events culminated in the signing and execution of several contracts by the participating ginger companies and that the sustainability aspect of the project would be taken over by the council.

She added that the curriculum developed in the training of the ESOs would be adopted for other product sectors with some slight modifications to suit current realities.

She said that the council intended to take full advantage and the utilisation of the ESOs in the area of product specialist development for other commodities

‘’This is in line with the council’s focus in the development and promotion of 20 priority products under the Export 35 redefined Initiative,” Ms Ayeni said.

The director-general said that the graduation was not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new chapter.

According to her, the “product specialists”, our ESOs, are now equipped to provide targeted, professional guidance that will help our ginger exporters maintain quality, expand market share and secure long-term partnerships.

She, however, commended the CBI for their steadfast support, ESOs for their dedication, and the NEPC staff for their hard work in making the project a success.

“Together, we are building not only a stronger ginger sector but also a stronger Nigerian non-oil export economy.

“Congratulations to our graduates, and may your future contributions help Nigeria shine even brighter in the global marketplace,” she said.

In his remarks, Lawal Dalhat, director, policy and strategy department of the NEPC, said the project aimed at supporting the transition to a sustainable and high-quality ginger sector in Nigeria.

Mr Dalhat said that the project was designed to build the capacity of Nigerian ginger companies to export consistently to the EU and other international markets.

He added that the project would also strengthen institutional support systems for small and medium enterprises in the vital sector.

Adekunle Obatimehim, one of the graduands, said the knowledge gained from the project underscored the importance of a holistic value chain development from farm to export to achieve sustainable trade equity.

(NAN)