Zenith Bank, Others To Promote Non-Oil Sector

Zenith Bank Plc and other stakeholders in the financial sector have called for a concerted effort toward diversifying Nigeria’s export base through the promotion of non-oil exports.

According to a statement, they made the call at the 7th annual edition of the Zenith Bank International Trade Seminar with the theme, ‘Unlocking opportunities in Nigeria’s non-oil export business’ in Lagos which was also held virtually on Wednesday.

Speaking on the importance of non-oil export to the nation’s economy, Ovia said Nigeria exported cocoa and several other non-oil products for years before oil was discovered.

He cited the example of the 25-storey Cocoa House in Ibadan, which was built with proceeds from cocoa exports.

“We should also look at promoting the nation’s non-oil export sector through technology to create technological giants like Apple, Tesla, and Google. And we already have technology companies in this mould in Nigeria, such as Flutterwave, which has a valuation of $3bn, making it more valuable than some banks in Nigeria,” Ovia