NEPC Launches Export Training Scheme to Empower Nigerian Students
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has launched a student-focused export training programme aimed at equipping young Nigerians with the entrepreneurial skills and technical knowledge required to access international markets and contribute to the growth of the country’s non-oil export sector.
The initiative, known as the Students Training Entrepreneurship Export Programme (STEP-X), is designed to bridge knowledge gaps in export procedures, international market access, product quality standards, documentation and certification.
Speaking at the programme’s maiden edition in Lagos on Thursday, NEPC Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, said the initiative would be replicated across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Ayeni said the programme, themed “From Campus to Global Market: Empowering Nigerian Students for Non-oil Export and Global Entrepreneurship,” was designed to harness the potential of young Nigerians and prepare them to participate effectively in export value chains.
She noted that young people constitute a significant proportion of Nigeria’s population and possess the energy, creativity and entrepreneurial drive needed to stimulate economic growth.
According to her, Nigerian students are already developing businesses and innovative products in agriculture, agro-processing, fashion and textiles, technology, creative industries and digital services. However, many of these ventures have yet to explore international markets because of limited knowledge of export requirements and opportunities.
Ayeni said STEP-X would address these challenges by providing practical training, relevant skills and certifications to enable students to develop export-ready businesses and compete in the global marketplace.
“Our goal is to make the journey from a hostel room or a campus workshop to the international market shorter, clearer and achievable,” she said.
More than 250 students from tertiary institutions in Lagos and Ogun states participated in the inaugural programme, which also attracted representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and student leaders from selected institutions.
The representative of the Minister of Youth Development and Lagos State APC Youth Leader, Mr Damilare Orimoloye, commended the NEPC for the initiative and urged other government agencies to develop similar programmes that would promote youth employment and wealth creation.
Orimoloye encouraged students to take advantage of opportunities in the export sector to establish sustainable businesses, generate employment and contribute to national development.
Also speaking, NANS President, Comrade Babatunde Akinteye, described STEP-X as a laudable initiative that could help students translate academic knowledge and entrepreneurial ideas into viable businesses with access to international markets.
Akinteye said young Nigerians could contribute significantly to economic development if equipped with the skills required to operate across different segments of the export value chain.
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He expressed the association’s readiness to partner with the NEPC in implementing programmes that would expand export opportunities for students and other young Nigerians.
During a separate engagement with the NEPC management, the student body proposed additional initiatives to strengthen export education and entrepreneurship across tertiary institutions.
Among its proposals was a comprehensive training scheme to equip students with the practical skills needed to export Nigerian products and services, enabling them to navigate export processes more effectively before and after graduation.
NANS also called for the establishment of export hubs on campuses across the six geopolitical zones, with designated personnel responsible for training, mentorship and guidance for aspiring student entrepreneurs.
The association said the proposed hubs would connect students with relevant expertise, market information and institutional support needed to develop export-oriented businesses.
It further proposed a national summit, tagged Students Export and Entrepreneurship Initiative: From Campus to Global Market, with the theme “Empowering Students for Non-oil Export and Global Entrepreneurship.”
According to the association, the proposed summit would be built around six pillars: training, identification, development, connection, exposure and skills acquisition.
Responding, Ayeni described Nigerian youths as vibrant, innovative and entrepreneurial, stressing that they represented a critical component of the country’s non-oil export ecosystem.
She assured the student leaders of the council’s willingness to collaborate with NANS and explore initiatives that would expand young people’s participation in export trade.
The NEPC chief executive highlighted existing programmes aimed at supporting women, youths and persons with disabilities, including the establishment of a dedicated unit within the council to address their needs.
She also cited the council’s Export Skills Acquisition Centre (ESAC), established in partnership with LeLook Academy to train young Nigerians in garment production and bag-making.
According to Ayeni, the centre has trained more than 1,000 young people since its establishment, with some of the bags produced through the initiative reaching international markets.
She further disclosed that the council organised 728 capacity-building programmes across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in 2025, benefiting more than 10,000 participants.
As part of the engagement, NANS decorated Ayeni as a National Ambassador of the association in recognition of the council’s youth-focused initiatives.
On the proposed national summit, Ayeni directed the council’s Director of State Offices Coordinating Department, Director of Export Incentives and Development, and Directors of Trade Information to engage with NANS to work out modalities for organising the event.
The STEP-X initiative forms part of efforts to strengthen youth entrepreneurship, diversify Nigeria’s export base and encourage greater participation in non-oil trade as a pathway to job creation and economic development.
By PRNigeria
