In furtherance of its efforts to help Nigerian businesses build sustainable export capabilities, leading lender, Fidelity Bank Plc, is set to host its flagship Export Management Programme (EMP), in Lagos and Kano.
Launched in 2016, the EMP, now in its 11th and 12th editions, is targeted at preparing participants for real-time experiences in the international non-oil export markets and the broader export market at large.
The session typically covers a wide range of topics including export documentation, selection and implementation of supply chain management for exports, and application of export development business processes and a host of others.
Speaking on the programme, the Managing Director, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, said: “As a leading supporter of small businesses, we introduced the EMP five years ago to bridge the knowledge gap in the export business locally and to help participants to compete effectively in the global export market.
“Given the success, we have recorded in the course of the programme and following the yearnings of potential participants, we decided to host an edition of the training in Kano for those who are unable to attend the session in Lagos.”
While EMP 11 is scheduled to hold at the Lagos Business School (LBS), Lekki, Lagos, between October 4 and 8,; EMP 12 would hold at a soon-to-be-announced venue in Kano State from October 11 to 15.
The sessions are being facilitated by leading faculty from the Lagos Business School (LBS), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), and experts in financial management and exports.
As a leading supporter of small businesses, we introduced the EMP five years ago to bridge the knowledge gap in the export business locally and to help participants to compete effectively in the global export market.
For Onyeali-Ikpe, “The benefits of supporting the non-oil sector of the economy cannot be overemphasized given the immense benefits that it provides to the economy and the nation in terms of providing much needed foreign exchange investments, increasing our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment generation. This informs our decision to host the EMP regularly, and we enjoin interested entrepreneurs to take advantage of this initiative to take their business to the next level.”
Fidelity Bank has over the years demonstrated its commitment to growing the non-oil export sector of the economy through strategic initiatives and partnerships. To this end, the bank has provided over N32.7 billion in credits to businesses operating in strategic sectors including rice, dairy, poultry, oil palm and cocoa in 2019 alone.
The bank has also successfully leveraged strategic partnerships with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), under various industry-targeted interventions funding programmes to enhance access to credit for eligible players in the agribusiness and non-oil exports space, aimed to address food security gaps and enhancing foreign exchange earnings.
According to eatrightPRO, as the United Nations (UN) estimates that the world’s population will reach 9.7 billion by 2050, “Food Security and Sustainability is imperative to feed the growing population and minimize the effects of climate change.”
It added that “How food is grown and produced, what types of foods are consumed and how much food is wasted have major impacts on the sustainability of the world’s food system.”
Indeed, the UN is worried that the world is not on track to achieving Zero Hunger (SDG 2) by 2030, noting that “If recent trends continue, the number of people affected by hunger would surpass 840 million by 2030.”
