The managing director and chief executive officer of the Nigeria Export-Import bank, Mr. Roberts Orya, has disclosed that the bank distributed over N85 billion to support 900 export projects last year. In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP, he said the bank created over 300,000 direct and indirect jobs and would help in generating over $1.2 billion in foreign exchange earnings for the country, adding that much of the money was used in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.

The MD maintained that NEXIM Bank, as an official export credit outfit of the federal government, was working hard to rationalise its authorisation of "diversification of the Nigerian economy through the provision of finance, risk bearing, and policy support to the non-oil export sector."

He noted, "Given our efforts to develop the high growth sectors and increase employment generation in the country, we have also developed a funding programme for the creative and entertainment industry in addition to a special scheme for SME exporters in the ECOWAS region."

He urged government and other stakeholders to make use of the activities of small manufacturing industries to add towards value added exports in the country.