By Peter Uzoho
About 300 participants in the on-going Export Management Programme (EMP) sponsored by Fidelity Bank Plc, in partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Lagos Business School, have graduated as ready players in the export business.
The Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, disclosed this in Lagos during the launch of the fifth series of the programme, saying it indicated the fulfilment of the goal of the programme.
Okonkwo, who was represented at the conference by the Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Mohammed Balarabe, said the financial institution remained the flagship of export capacity development platform in Nigeria, pointing out that, the goal of the EMP was basically to provide impactful and world class export management education to Nigerian SMEs and MSMEs so that they would be able to compete effectively globally.
“I think we have achieved that. Today, about 300 people have graduated through the programme and that has been done through a total of four streams; we have about seven participants in each stream and that’s very commendable,†Okonkwo said.
He explained that the conversation that led to the setting up of the EMP series started over a year ago in Kano when the bank hosted an SME conference.
The bank chief, however, stated that as a financial institution, it would, beyond organising the programme, work towards getting financing solutions to exporters and upcoming exporters. He stressed that they had a whole team of experts that would be providing advisory services as well as financing development to ensure that they achieve the goal of diversifying Nigerian economy away from over-dependence on oil.
“Non-oil export is the way to go in the world and that’s what we seek to achieve,†he added.
Also speaking at the event, Dean, Lagos Business School, Dr. Enase Okonedo, represented by the Director of MBA Programmes, Dr. Uchenna Uzor, said that the school was keen on ensuring that it prepared managers who would lead social and economic development in Africa.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mr. Segun Awolowo, equally represented by the Zonal Head, Lagos and South West, Mr. Babatunde Faleke, commended Fidelity Bank and the Lagos Business for partnering with NEPC through funding and technical assistance respectively, in ensuring that the challenge of knowledge gap in the export business was solved.
