The Nigerian Export Promotion Council has disclosed that Kebbi state certified Exporters were able to export N4.3 billion foodstuff to Benin and Niger Republics in year 2022.
State Coordinator of the Council in Kebbi state, Mr.Muhammad Sirajo Dan-Alkali, who stated this while speaking with newsmen during EatSafe food safety campaign to Birnin Kebbi central market and showcasing of exportable goods, disclosed that Kebbi market for spices have recorded about 200 million US dollars last year.
According to him, “we are here to be part of those showcasing exportable products from Kebbi state. Kebbi state is situated between Niger and Benin borders and majorities goods going to Benin-Niger passes Kebbi. Last year over N4.3 billion of food stuff went to Benin-Niger Republics through Kebbi. So, I think, we should commend organizer of this programme to showcase what we have in abundant. With the signing of free trade agreement, Kebbi state is going to benefit a lot from the exportation of commodities to Africa countries.
“We observed that Kebbi state has a lot of exportation products. We saw that some of our traders already have additional valued products. We also saw that they also have a lot of smoke fish and we all know that our fish producing here are very sweet. We also have spices and spices market is huge. Last year, the spices market was over 200 million dollars and it is expected to reach about 400 million dollars by 2030. So Kebbi state is blessed with everything that we needed to succeed.
While speaking about the food safety, Alkali explained that the Council have trained a lot of farmers and traders on producing safe products right from the plantations stages to the final production packages.
He said: “in fact, the Nigeria Export Promotion Council has what we call Food agriculture practices where we try as must as possible to give capacity training to our farmers. Food safety started from land preparation, planting and training. We have done a lot of this. Last year alone, onion worth two to three billion naira was exported from Aliero town to ECOWAS sister’s country. So, Kebbi has no bases from being a poor state. We have tried as much as possible to talk about Asmoxime on products that are being cultivated.
“ We have been able to secure two certifications for our registered Exporters. They can now export their products to anywhere in Africa. We are planning to give more exporters certificates before the end of this year by the grace of God”, he said.
He added that the Council have gave out about four to fifty million naira grants to Certified Exporters to invest in their businesses as well as given out processing machines to Sheer Nuts Association to boost their production capacity.
In his remark, an Associate Professor from the Department of Agriculture Economic, Kebbi state University of Science and Technology, Aliero(KSUSTA), Dr Gona Ayuba commended the organizer of the programme, stressed that the stakeholders have started imbibe with the new ideal of food safety to ensure healthy society.
Earlier, Mallam Ibrahim Isyaku, State Coordinator of EatSafe-GAIN,Kebbi state(Research Associate) explained that the US agency are funding the programme in collaboration with the Association for Promotion of Food Safety and Improved Nutrition(APFSAN) to ensure continuity of the awareness after the expiration of the agency tenure in the country.
“My call to the vendors is for them to continue to be abiding by the rules of food processing and be sure that food is safer. We have majorities of these food vendors with on our training because USAID injected a lot of money through EatSafe programme to ensure these vendors are well trained and capable of handling their foods in a better way not in traditional ways. We are going to keep on encouraging them and the public should also encourage them to do better”.