Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Bayelsa State Government has renewed its push to diversify the state’s economy by strengthening participation in non-oil exports, calling on small and medium enterprises, SMEs, to position themselves to access available export financing opportunities.
The Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Ebieri Jones, made the call in Yenagoa while declaring open an interactive session on facilitating access to export finance for SMEs in the non-oil export sector, organised by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC.
Dr. Jones said the promotion of non-oil exports is no longer optional for Bayelsa, stressing that the state must deliberately reduce its dependence on crude oil revenues.
“We must deliberately promote the non-oil sector if Bayelsa is to achieve sustainable economic growth and create jobs for our people,” the Commissioner said.
He noted that while funding opportunities exist, many exporters are unable to access them due to weak documentation and lack of market readiness.
“Exporters and intending exporters must ensure they have the right documentation and confirmed off-takers. Without these, accessing export finance will remain a challenge,” Jones warned.
The Commissioner urged participants to leverage financing windows provided by commercial banks and development finance institutions to scale their operations, adding that government’s role is to reduce bottlenecks and support business growth.
“Government is committed to creating an enabling environment by providing infrastructure and policy support, but businesses must take responsibility for positioning themselves to take advantage of available opportunities,” he said.
The interactive session, themed “Unlocking Export Financial Opportunities for SMEs Growth in Nigeria,” brought together key public and private sector stakeholders involved in export development and financing.
Speaking at the event, the Bayelsa State Coordinator of NEPC, Mrs. Sylvia Adeneye, said the programme was designed to bridge the information gap between SMEs and export finance providers.
“Many SMEs have viable export products but lack access to finance because they are not properly informed. This engagement is meant to connect them directly with institutions that can support their growth,” she said.
Representatives from the Bank of Industry, BOI; Nigerian Export-Import Bank, NEXIM; United Nations Development Programme, UNDP! Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN; SMEDAN, NASME, and commercial banks including Access Bank, Zenith Bank and UBA were present to outline available funding instruments and support mechanisms.
Exporters and industry stakeholders at the session agreed that improved access to finance, combined with capacity building and market access, could significantly boost Bayelsa’s non-oil export potential and strengthen the state’s contribution to Nigeria’s export diversification drive.
