The Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank) has identified the South-South region as the emerging strategic hub for export diversification.
It said the South-South has access to infrastructure like ports and proximity to export corridors. Managing Director of NEXIM Bank, Abba Bello, stated this in Benin City at the opening session of a one-day NEXIM SME Export Finance Sensitization Forum.
Bello noted that the South-South offered offers immense potential for trade following successful agro-processing clusters in oil palm, cassava, cocoa, rubber, solid minerals projects and in the petro-chemical industries in Rivers State.
He said industrial hubs in the region were home to MSMEs along value chains that produced high-quality food products, chemicals, building materials and servicing oil companies.
The NEXIM bank boss said the industrial hubs provided products and services that would shape Nigeria’s non-oil export future.
Represented by Flaring Tianiyu, Bello noted that improved access to finance, robust infrastructure, and effective trade facilitation would help the South South region continue to be a strong contributor to Nigeria’s non-oil export growth.
