Fidelity Bank Plc will be celebrating the first anniversary of its highly regarded Export Management Programme (EMP).
Launched in 2016, the EMP is a sector focused capacity building programme run by Fidelity Bank in partnership with the Pan-Atlantic University and the Nigerian Export Promotions Council (NEPC), to deliver impactful, world-class export management education to aspiring and existing players in the non-oil export sector of the Nigerian economy.
The programme which prepares participants for effective play in the international non-oil export markets in particular and the larger export markets in general, has continued to raise the bar of capacity building in exports in Nigeria.
Its unique curriculum is structured to take participants through courses bordering strategically on product development for export; developing linkages with customers in importing countries; understanding the various export processes, accompanying documentation and other requirements in Nigeria and key importing countries; export products storage; quality assurance, branding and packaging, sourcing and supply chain management, logistics and shipping, export finance, business ethics, among others.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo, who gave valuable insights into the rationale behind establishing the EMP, stated that the financial institution remains highly committed to aiding the diversification of Nigeria’s monolithic economy particularly through import substitution and export promotion.
“We finance a lot of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.
A number of these MSMEs have strong export potentials.
It was therefore a natural fit for us to partner with the Lagos Business School (LBS) and the Nigerian Export Promotions Council (NEPC) to make this happen given in particular, recent developments in the global oil markets and the impact they have had on the Nigerian economy” he said.
In addition, Okonkwo emphasized the need to boost non-oil exports and build sustainable non-oil exports capability which he affirmed is now at the heart of the country’s diversification strategy. He explained: “Exporting not only improves foreign exchange (FX) earnings, but countries most successful in exports have stronger links to wealth creation, employment generation and sustainable poverty reduction”