From: WALTER UKAEGBU, Abuja
Facts have emerged that the Federal Government lost over $30 billion fall in Nigeria Export within two years.
This was revealed by the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) Mr Segun Awolowo.
Awolowo made this disclosure, on Thursday, in Abuja, when a delegation of Japanese business men visited the council to discuss their desire to invest in the Nigeria economy.
In his remarks, Awolowo told the visitors, led by Head of Economic and Commercial Section, First Secretary, Mr Yasuhiro Hashimoto, that the Federal Government was desirous to welcome investors who would come to Nigeria to invest in manufacturing or and industrialization, assemble some of the popular Japanese cars used in Nigeria instead of importing them into the country.
He informed the audience made up of the investors and Nigerian government official that Nigeria want to achieve “zero oil” in Nigeria and tow the line of countries like Saudi Arabia that is already leaving oil to invest in other sector for exports to grow their economy.
Awolowo, however, remarked that Nigeria lost over $30 billion fall in its oil export from 2014 and 2015 which is two years. According to him the country recorded $1.7billion dollars of non oil export in 2014 while in 2015 it recorded $ 1.6 billion.
“ We want investors in manufacturing able to manufacturer some motor parts here like leather that is used in car seats because plastic is a bye product of petrol. Investment in agriculture would also be useful as we have many agricultural products wasting away like fruits from Benue State in Nigeria, tomatoes in the northern part of the country among others, he said.