The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has trained exporters in Akwa Ibom State on the best production techniques of seafood to boost export in the nation’s non-oil sector.
The Deputy Director, NEPC, in Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Pauline Ndulaka, said at a one-day workshop for exporters in Uyo on Monday, that one of the visions of the agency in non-oil export was to have seafoods saturate the global market.
Ndulaka said for the vision to be realized, exporters and stakeholders in the seafood value chain must be updated on the global best production techniques and practices.
“Nigeria’s dependent on oil as a major source of income is not all that profitable; hence the option to get more serious with developing non-oil exports as the second line of defense and a clear strategy for economic diversification.
“We must all join hands to achieve this by making exportation seamless, signifying and exporting value-added products as much as we can to grasp a fair portion of the international market.
“Our objective is to expose stakeholders to various value-chain processes that would enhance seafood production in the state for export.
“We will enlighten producers on best practices and techniques for the production and processing of seafood, and reawaken the consciousness of seafood producers to the economic potentials of seafood, among others”, Ndulaka said.
The Chairman of Nigeria Store Product Research Institute (NSPRI), Dr Awugu Eminike, warned against destructive fishing methods to avoid negative effects on the entire marine ecosystem which can further trigger rejection at the global market.
Eminike, who spoke on the topic “Post Harvest Handling/Value Chain Processing/Preservation and Packaging of Seafood for Export”, urged exporters to make use of modern smoking and drying equipment fabricated by the research institute.
He said the machine, having passed through rigorous testing, has proved to maintain purity in processing seafood but advised that a high level of hygiene be maintained during all stages of post-harvest handling.
He urged exporters to constantly conduct market researches to understand the demand for specific seafood products, consumer preferences, and cultural considerations in the target market.