The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has urged Nigerian students to explore non-oil export opportunities and develop businesses capable of competing in international markets.
Mrs Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, gave the advice at the launch of the NEPC-National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Student Trade, Entrepreneurship and Export Programme (STEP-X), themed “From Campus to Global Market: Empowering Nigerian Students for Non-Oil Export and Global Entrepreneurship.”
Ayeni said the initiative was designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to transform their ideas and businesses into export-ready enterprises.
“Youths are not only the future, they are the drivers of tomorrow’s economy. They are agents of change and strong influencers in the sphere of things,” she said.
She described Nigeria’s youthful population as a major economic asset that must be deliberately harnessed for national development, noting that young Nigerians were already building businesses across agriculture, agro-processing, fashion and textiles, technology, creative industries and digital services.
However, she said many youth-led businesses were yet to take advantage of international markets because of limited knowledge of export procedures, documentation, quality standards, certification and market access.
“This is why we came up with the theme: ‘From Campus to Global Market.’ Our goal is to make the journey from a hostel room or a campus workshop to the international market shorter, clearer and achievable,” Ayeni said.
The NEPC chief highlighted the country’s growing non-oil export performance, disclosing that export earnings reached a record $6.1 billion in 2025, up from $5.46 billion in 2024.
She added that Nigeria exported 281 products to 120 countries during the period.
According to Ayeni, the council conducted 728 training programmes in 2025, reaching 96,221 people through its 36 state and regional offices.
She also said 210 small and medium-sized enterprises received free international certifications under the council’s Go Global Go Certification initiative, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to more than 600.
In addition, the NEPC is training women and young people in bag and shoemaking through its Export Skill Acquisition Centre, in partnership with Lelook. More than 300 people have been trained under the programme, which has a target of 1,000 beneficiaries.
Ayeni further disclosed that more than 70 SMEs had been onboarded onto Jumia to improve the visibility of Made-in-Nigeria products and expand market access through digital trade and e-commerce.
