PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FOR EXPORT THE ROLE OF EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL

The Product Development Department is one of the core Departments in the Council.  The focus is to diversify the basket of exportable products from Nigeria.  Its functions include the following:

(i) Identify potential products for development for export
(ii) Advising manufacturers on packaging, product designs and adaptation
(iii) Advising companies on quality standards
(iv) Advising companies on costing and pricing for export
(v) Conducting supply base studies with a view to identifying exportable  products
(vi) Identify and synergize with key players in selected product sectors to set and achieve yearly export targets

2.  DIVISIONS/UNITS

 The Department comprises of five (5) Divisions/Units as follows:

• Agriculture

• Consumer/Industrial Goods
• Solid Minerals
• Services
• Packaging

(i)    AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS

• Collaborating with other public and private organizations in the development and promotion of agricultural and agro-allied products.
• Organizing workshops, seminars and training sessions on agriculture and related topics.
• Embark on awareness campaigns on Good agricultural practices (GAP) for exportable products

 (ii)    CONSUMER/INDUSTRIAL GOODS

• Product development and value creation of Consumer/Industrial goods in compliance with international quality standards.
• Develop export competitiveness of Consumer/Industrial goods through capacity building programmes for exporters
• Identification, development and promotion of Consumer/Industrial products with export prospects.
• Develop a data-base of manufactures/exporters in the Consumer/Industrial goods sub-sector.
• Liaise with consumers/end-users of products in order to proffer solutions to challenges peculiar to the sector e.g  interventions.
• Understudy research findings, Product research studies, study tours, e.t.c of Consumer/Industrial products in line with current trends in product diversification.

 (iii)    SOLID MINERALS

• Collaborate with Solid Mineral producing states in order to consolidate on the market and promotion of exportable solid minerals from Nigeria.
• Organise Capacity-building programmes for miners, investors, stakeholders in order to update their technical skills on the production of quality solid mineral products for export.
• Production of Product profiles and Directories of local producers/exporters of Solid minerals in Nigeria.
• Organize workshops, seminar and training for artisanal miners, lapidiarists, investors, and exporters on quality gemstone production for export.
• Identify and recommend training programmes for miners

 (iv)    PACKAGING

• Designing prototype of packages, labels and liaising with graphic designers and packaging companies for the benefit of manufacturers/exporters.
• Assisting local producers and manufacturers in the areas of product adaptation, packaging, costing and pricing.
• Synergise with packaging manufacturers, consumers, Organized Private Sector and small and medium enterprise  with a view to adapting innovation in packaging technology in order to meet international standards.
• Sourcing and building database of Packaging Companies in Nigeria.
• Sourcing, analyzing of packaging materials that are compatible with selected product for packaging.
• Organizing Seminars/ workshop for Small and Medium Enterprise, Exporters on the need to follow the trend in packaging for export

 (v)    TRADE IN SERVICES

Creating/coordinating awareness campaign on services export

• Developing and Promoting the Arts and Movies Sub sector
• Coordinate the pilot project on IT Business Process Outsourcing
• implementation of the Nigeria National Strategy for the Export Professional Services with focus on the following sectors

                    o    Entertainment
                    o    Music and Movies
                    o    Financial
                    o    ICT
                    o    Software Development and BPO
                    o    Education