The Kwara state government has again committed to strengthen the existing strategic partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and other relevant agencies.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Oloruntoyosi Thomas, at a courtesy visit to the NEPC Coordinating Office on Friday in Ilorin said that the collaboration was in a bid to promote export of agricultural commodities and products to the international markets.
She affirmed the state government’s readiness to partner with all relevant agencies in promoting agricultural exports, especially crops having comparative advantages.
The commissioner disclosed that the state government had lined up a series of programmes in line with its Agricultural Transformation Plan.
She said the programmes would ensure that farmers did not only focus on farm produce but also had access to international markets by meeting the global standards.
In his response, the State Coordinator, NEPC, Mrs Sherifat Musa, expressed the council’s readiness to collaborate with the state government in exporting agricultural commodities.
“The NEPC is committed to driving the export of non-oil products especially agricultural commodities and we are fully committed to exploring the various agricultural potentials in the state,’’ Musa said.
On his part, the Executive Director, Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Prof. Lateef Sanni, commended the Kwara government’s huge investment in agriculture and partnership with donor agencies.
The executive director assured Thomas of the Institute’s support and strong partnership in agricultural initiatives—training workshop, value addition, knowledge sharing, agribusiness, products packaging and branding, among others.