The Federal Government has approved the disbursement of 308 billion naira worth of Promissory Notes to 199 exporting companies under the Export Expansion Grant (EEG) Scheme.

Ezra Yakusak, Executive Director/CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), revealed this while issuing letters to some beneficiaries of the scheme on Friday.

A press release issued by the NEPC's head of corporate commissions, Ndubueze Okeke shows that the sum of N193, 456, 239, 386.40 was approved for 133 beneficiaries of the scheme in respect of EEG outstanding claims for the period of 2017 to 2020 while the sum of N108, 317, 269, 008.76 was approved for 35 beneficiaries in respect of EEG backlogs of claims for the period of 2007 to 2016 respectively.

Similarly, the sum of N68, 389, 000.00 only was approved for 13 beneficiaries in respect of stocks of outstanding Negotiable Duty Credit Certificates (NDCC).

Furthermore, the sum of N6, 617, 781, 151.25 was approved for 69 beneficiaries in respect of the shortfall in the approved claims by the 8th National Assembly.

However, the Council is still awaiting the approval and release of the sum of N60,635,088,940.63 being the EEG claims for 34 beneficiary companies from the NASS.

The EEG is a post-shipment incentive scheme that was established by virtue of the Export (Incentives & Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Cap E19, laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

The export expansion grant targets stimulating the increase in the volume and value of Made-in-Nigerian products in the international market.

The scheme is also intended to encourage the export of value-added products as against raw agricultural commodities.