The Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, and the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, have agreed to explore a partnership aimed at equipping students with export trade skills, as the student body pushes for a stronger role in the country’s non-oil export drive.
The partnership was forged when a delegation of the student body, led by its Secretary-General, Comrade Oladimeji uthman Fodio, paid a visit to the Executive Director of NEPC, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the student body, Fodio praised Ayeni for her leadership and commitment to youth development.
According to a statement issued by Deputy Director and Head of Corporate Communication at NEPC, Aliu Seidu Sadiq, the students’ visit was aimed at securing collaboration with the Council on export development programmes tailored to Nigerian students.
Fodio noted that young people make up more than 60 percent of Nigeria’s population and argued that this demographic could be mobilised and trained across various segments of the export value chain to drive economic growth.
He said NANS was prepared to work with NEPC to roll out export-focused initiatives that would benefit students and youths nationwide.
Among the proposals tabled by the association were nationwide training programmes on export processes, the creation of export hubs on university campuses across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, and the posting of dedicated staff to mentor and train students in export-related fields.
NANS believes such a framework would give students practical exposure to export knowledge and institutional support.
The delegation also pitched a national summit titled “Students Export & Entrepreneurship Initiative –From Campus to Global Market,” built around the theme of empowering students for non-oil export and entrepreneurship.
The summit is expected to rest on six pillars: training, identification, development, connection, exposure and skills acquisition.
In her response, Ayeni described Nigerian youths as vibrant, entrepreneurial and central to the country’s non-oil export ambitions, pledging the Council’s support for the proposed partnership.
She pointed to existing youth-focused initiatives, including a unit dedicated to women, young people and persons with disabilities, as well as the Export Skills Acquisition Centre, ESAC, run in collaboration with LeLook Academy to train youths in garment and bag production.
She said the centre has trained over 1,000 young people to date, with some of its bags now reaching international markets.
Ayeni also disclosed that NEPC held 728 capacity-building programmes across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in 2025, reaching more than 10,000 beneficiaries.
The visit culminated in NANS conferring on Ayeni the title of National Ambassador of the association.
On the proposed summit, Ayeni directed three of the Council’s directors, overseeing State Offices Coordination, Export Incentives & Development, and Trade Information, to begin discussions with NANS on planning the event.
