The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the Federal Government to strengthen the operational capacity and technical resources of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to expand its interventions and deepen non-oil export development.
NANS made the call at a press conference held by its National Secretariat on Monday, November 9, 2026, in Abuja.
The students’ body said NEPC needed increased budgetary allocation, technical resources and institutional support to expand its programmes, strengthen export capacity, support small and medium-sized enterprises and position more Nigerian products competitively in international markets.
NANS also passed a vote of confidence in the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, commending her commitment to economic diversification, youth empowerment and export development.
It praised Ayeni for expanding Nigeria’s non-oil export sector and recognising the economic potential of young people, women and emerging entrepreneurs.
However, NANS said the confidence expressed must be matched by sustained delivery, accountability, wider participation, and measurable benefits for Nigerian students.
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The association cited Nigeria’s non-oil export performance as evidence of progress under Ayeni’s leadership.
According to figures presented by NEPC in January 2025, Nigeria generated approximately $5.456 billion in non-oil export receipts in 2024, representing a 20.77 percent increase over the $4.517 billion recorded in 2023.
The volume of exported products also rose from 6.685 million metric tonnes in 2023 to 7.291 million metric tonnes in 2024.
NANS said the figures reflected wider efforts to strengthen non-oil exports, encourage value addition and position Nigerian products for greater competitiveness in international markets.
Of particular significance to the students’ community, the association said, was the collaboration between NEPC and NANS on youth empowerment.
Following an engagement between the national leadership of NANS and NEPC management in September 2026, the two institutions advanced plans to expose Nigerian students to export development and entrepreneurship.
NANS proposed a national initiative titled Student Trade, Entrepreneurship and Export Programme (STEP-X): From Campus to Global Market, designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills to establish export-oriented businesses.
The proposal included the establishment of export hubs in tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones, where students could access professional training, mentorship and technical guidance from NEPC.
The initiative later resulted in the launch of the NEPC-NANS Student Trade, Entrepreneurship and Export Programme (STEP-X 1.0) in Lagos in October 2026, under the theme, “From Campus to Global Market: Empowering Nigerian Students for Non-Oil Export and Global Entrepreneurship.”
The programme focuses on export readiness, international market research, documentation, product quality, packaging, digital trade and access to global markets.
The NANS Secretary-General, Oladimeji Uthman, appreciated Ayeni for recognising the role the association could play in mobilising students nationwide, while NEPC provides the technical expertise and institutional experience to develop their entrepreneurial potential.
NANS also acknowledged the Council’s youth development interventions, particularly its Export Skills Acquisition Centre, established in partnership with LeLook Academy to provide training in garment and bag production.
The Council also reported organising 728 capacity-building programmes across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in 2025, benefiting more than 10,000 young people.
NANS said Nigeria’s non-oil export sector held considerable potential for economic diversification, foreign exchange generation, job creation, industrial development and poverty reduction.
It added that realising this potential required sustained investment in export infrastructure, quality assurance, market intelligence, product certification and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The association urged the government to support the expansion of export training and entrepreneurship programmes in tertiary institutions, including the establishment of functional export hubs across the six geopolitical zones.
NANS said the success of STEP-X 1.0 should be measured not only by its launch but also by its ability to reach students nationwide, nurture viable enterprises, facilitate access to export markets and create sustainable economic opportunities.
It, however, called on students across universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other tertiary institutions to take advantage of legitimate entrepreneurship and export development opportunities.
“A student empowered with export knowledge today can become an employer, an exporter, and a contributor to national prosperity tomorrow,” Uthman said.
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