By Felix Khanoba
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has launched a youth-focused export training programme aimed at equipping Nigerian students with the entrepreneurial skills and knowledge needed to access international markets and boost the country’s non-oil export sector.
The initiative, known as the Students Training Entrepreneurship Export Programme (STEP-X), is designed to prepare students for opportunities across the export value chain, including agriculture, agro-processing, fashion, textiles, technology, creative industries and digital services.
Speaking at the launch in Lagos on Thursday, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, said the programme would provide students with entrepreneurship training, export skills and certifications to enable them to compete in the global marketplace.
According to her, the initiative, themed “From Campus to Global Market: Empowering Nigerian Students for Non-oil Export and Global Entrepreneurship,” would be extended to the six geopolitical zones.
A statement signed by the Deputy Director and Head of Corporate Communication of NEPC, Aliu Seidu Sadiq, said Ayeni emphasised the importance of harnessing the potential of young Nigerians to drive economic growth and development.
She noted that Nigerian students were already developing businesses, products and innovative ideas but often lacked the knowledge required to take advantage of international trade opportunities.
According to the NEPC boss, limited knowledge of international markets, export procedures, documentation, quality standards and certification had prevented many youth-led businesses from exploring the export sector.
She said STEP-X was introduced to bridge these knowledge gaps, simplify export processes and encourage more young Nigerians to venture into non-oil exports.
“This is why we came up with the theme: ‘From Campus to Global market’. Our goal is to make the journey from hostel room or a campus workshop to the international market shorter, clearer and achievable.”
More than 250 students from higher institutions in Lagos and Ogun states participated in the maiden edition of the programme.
The event also attracted leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), as well as zonal representatives from some key institutions.
The representative of the Minister of Youth Development and APC Youth Leader in Lagos State, Mr Damilare Orimoloye, urged students to take advantage of opportunities in the export sector to create employment and build sustainable businesses.
Orimoloye commended NEPC for introducing the initiative and called on other government agencies to adopt similar programmes to support job creation and wealth generation.
Also speaking, the National President of NANS, Comrade Babatunde Akinteye, described STEP-X as a laudable initiative that could help students translate classroom knowledge into practical business opportunities in international markets.
He stressed that young Nigerians, who constitute more than 60 per cent of the country’s population, could be mobilised and trained across different segments of the export value chain to promote economic development.
Akinteye expressed the student body’s readiness to partner with NEPC in implementing export-focused programmes that would benefit students and young people across the country.
During a separate engagement with the council’s management, NANS presented proposals for possible collaboration, including comprehensive export training for students on products and services.
The association said such training would equip students with the practical skills required to navigate export processes and establish export-oriented businesses after graduation.
It also proposed the establishment of export hubs in tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones, with dedicated personnel responsible for training and mentoring students.
According to NANS, the proposed hubs would provide a platform for connecting students and young entrepreneurs with the knowledge, expertise and institutional support needed to participate in international trade.
The student body further proposed a national summit, to be known as the Students Export & Entrepreneurship Initiative – From Campus to Global Market, with the theme “Empowering Students for Non-oil Export and Global Entrepreneurship.”
The proposed summit would focus on six pillars: training, identification, development, connection, exposure and skills.
Responding to the proposals, Ayeni thanked the students for the engagement, describing Nigerian youths as vibrant, passionate and entrepreneurial.
She assured NANS of the council’s readiness to collaborate with the association to expand export opportunities for students and young Nigerians.
The NEPC chief executive highlighted some of the council’s existing interventions targeted at young people, including the establishment of a dedicated unit for women, youths and persons living with disabilities.
She also drew attention to the council’s Export Skills Acquisition Centre (ESAC), established and facilitated in partnership with LeLook Academy to train young Nigerians in garment production and bag making.
According to her, the centre has trained more than 1,000 youths since its establishment and produced bags that have been exported to international markets.
Ayeni further disclosed that NEPC organised 728 capacity-building programmes across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory in 2025, benefiting more than 10,000 people.
The engagement ended with the decoration of Ayeni as a National Ambassador of NANS.
On the proposed national summit, the NEPC boss directed the Director of the State Offices Coordinating Department, the Director of Export Incentives and Development, and the Directors of Trade Information to meet with the student body to work out arrangements for the programme.
The STEP-X initiative is expected to strengthen youth participation in non-oil exports by connecting entrepreneurship education with practical export knowledge and opportunities in international markets.
