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From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council has disclosed that Kebbi State certified exporters exported N4.3billion foodstuff to Benin and Niger Republics in year 2022.
State Coordinator of the council in Kebbi State, Muhammad Sirajo Dan-Alkali, who stated this, said Kebbi market for spices recorded about $200 million last year.
He spoke at the EatSafe food safety campaign to Birnin Kebbi central market and showcasing of exportable goods.
“Last year over N4.3 billion of food stuff went to Benin, Niger Republics through Kebbi. So, I think, we should commend organisers of this programme for showcasing what we have in abundance. With the signing of free trade agreement, Kebbi State is going to benefit a lot from the exportation of commodities to Africa countries.
“We observed that Kebbi State has a lot of export products. We saw that some of our traders already have additional valued products. We also saw that they also have a lot of smoked fish, and fish produced here is very sweet. We also have spices and the spices market is huge. Last year, the spices market was over $200 million and it is expected to reach about $400 million by 2030. So Kebbi State is blessed with everything that we needed to succeed
While speaking about the food safety, Alkali explained that the council has trained a lot of farmers and traders on producing safe products right from the plantation stages to the final production packages.
Earlier, Mallam Ibrahim Isyaku, State Coordinator of EatSafe-GAIN, explained that the US agency was funding the programme in collaboration with the Association for Promotion of Food Safety and Improved Nutrition (APFSAN) to ensure continuity of the awareness after the expiration of the agency’s tenure in the country.
In his remarks, an Associate Professor from the Department of Agriculture Economics, Kebbi state University of Science and Technology, Aliero (KSUSTA), Dr Gona Ayuba commended the organisers of the programme.
