NEPC, NANS Forge Partnership to Link Students to Global Export Opportunities

James Emejo in Abuja

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have proposed a partnership to train students in non-oil exports and establish export hubs across tertiary institutions in the six geopolitical zones.
Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, described Nigerian youths as an important component of the country’s non-oil export ecosystem and expressed the Council’s willingness to explore the proposed partnership.
Speaking when she received NANS Secretary-General, Oladimeji Uthman Fodio, who led a delegation to NEPC in Abuja, she said the youth represented one of the country’s greatest strengths, given their vibrancy, entrepreneurial capacity and potential to contribute to economic diversification.
Ayeni also highlighted existing NEPC interventions targeted at young Nigerians, including the Council’s dedicated unit for women, youth and people living with disabilities.
However, the student body said the initiative would equip Nigerian undergraduates with practical skills to participate in the export value chain and position them for opportunities in the global market even before graduation.
Fodio said with youths accounting for more than 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population, deliberate efforts were required to channel their energy and entrepreneurial potential into productive economic activities, particularly the non-oil export sector.
He said NANS was seeking collaboration with NEPC on export development and promotion programmes targeted at Nigerian students, including training on the procedures, opportunities and practical requirements for exporting Nigerian products and services.
According to him, exposure to export skills while still in school would enable students to develop viable businesses and pursue export opportunities after graduation rather than wait until they enter the labour market.
The association also proposed the establishment of Export Hubs on campuses across the six geopolitical zones, with NEPC personnel providing training, mentorship and technical guidance to participating students.
NANS said the proposed hubs would provide students and other young Nigerians with access to knowledge, expertise and institutional support needed to develop export-oriented businesses.
It further proposed a national summit, “Students Export & Entrepreneurship Initiative – From Campus to Global Market,” with the theme, “Empowering Students for Non-Oil Export and Global Entrepreneurship.”
The proposed summit, it said, would focus on six key pillars—training, identification, development, connection, exposure and skills—with the aim of creating a more direct pathway between Nigerian campuses and international markets.
Nonetheless, Ayeni, in a statement, Deputy Director, Head of Corporate Communication, NEPC, Aliu Seidu Sadiq, cited the Export Skills Acquisition Centre (ESAC) established and facilitated by NEPC in partnership with LeLook Academy, which provides training in areas including garment and bag production.
According to her, the centre has trained more than 1,000 youths since its establishment, with some of the bags produced by beneficiaries already reaching international markets.
Ayeni further disclosed that NEPC conducted 728 capacity-building programmes across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in 2025, benefiting more than 10,000 people.
On the proposed national summit, she directed the Directors of the State Offices Coordinating Department, Export Incentives and Development, and Trade Information to engage with NANS and work towards organising the programme.
The visit also culminated in the decoration of Ayeni as the National Ambassador of NANS.