President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Dr Ezra Yakusak as the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
Yakusak will be taking over from Segun Awolowo, who was re-appointed the Chief Executive Officer of NEPC in February 2018.
This disclosure is contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, on Tuesday in Abuja, reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.
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What they are saying
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Shehu said that the appointment would be for an initial term of four years, in accordance with the provision of Section 7 (1) of the NEPC (Establishment) Act, 1987, and is expected to take effect from November 27, 2021.
The statement from the Presidential Media aide also says, “Until his appointment, Yakusak, who holds a PhD in commercial law from Ahmadu Bello University, was the Director, Policy and Strategy, NEPC. He has also served as Secretary to the Governing Board of the Council.”
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What you should know
Recall that Segun Awolowo was first appointed as NEPC CEO by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in November 2013, and later had his reappointment announced in February 2018.
The NEPC was established through the promulgation of the “Nigerian Export Promotion Council Decree No. 26 of 1976,” now an Act in line with the democratic governance of the country.
This Act was amended by Decree No. 72 of 1979 and further amended by the Nigerian Export Promotion Decree No. 41 of 1988, and complemented by the Export (Incentives and Miscellaneous Provisions) Decree No. 18 of 1986.
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Furthermore, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (Amendment) Decree No. 64 and 65 of 1992 was promulgated to enhance the performance of the Council.
The Council is the leading Federal Government Agency charged with the responsibility of promoting non-oil export in Nigeria to diversify from oil and build a formidable economy.