The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has sought partnership with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to equip Nigerian students with skills in non-oil export and entrepreneurship.
The NANS Secretary-General and leader of the association’s delegation, Comrade Oladimeji Uthman Fodio, made the request during a courtesy visit to the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, at the council’s headquarters in Abuja.
Fodio commended Ayeni for her leadership and efforts to promote youth development and empowerment, noting that Nigerian youths constitute more than 60 percent of the country’s population and could play a significant role in expanding the non-oil export sector.
He said NANS was seeking collaboration with NEPC to expose students to opportunities across the export value chain and equip them with practical skills that would enable them to venture into export business during and after their studies.
The student body specifically requested training for Nigerian students on various aspects of exporting products and services, saying the initiative would provide them with the knowledge required to participate effectively in the global market.
NANS also proposed the establishment of export hubs in tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones, with NEPC personnel providing training and mentorship to students.
According to the association, the proposed campus-based hubs would provide students and young Nigerians with access to relevant knowledge, expertise and institutional support on export development.
The students further proposed a national summit, tagged “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, Ayeni described Nigerian youths as vibrant, passionate and entrepreneurial, stressing that they remained one of the country’s greatest strengths and a key component of the non-oil export ecosystem.
She assured NANS of the council’s readiness to collaborate with the student body on initiatives aimed at developing the export potential of young Nigerians.
Ayeni highlighted some of NEPC’s programmes targeted at youths, women and people living with disabilities, including the council’s dedicated unit for these groups.
She also cited the Export Skills Acquisition Centre (ESAC), established and facilitated in partnership with LeLook Academy, which trains young Nigerians in garment and bag making.
According to her, the centre has trained more than 1,000 youths since its establishment, with some of the high-quality bags produced by beneficiaries exported to international markets.
The NEPC boss also 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 people.
The visit also featured the decoration of Ayeni as the National Ambassador of NANS.
On the proposed national summit, Ayeni directed the Directors of State Offices Coordinating Department, Export Incentives and Development, and Trade Information to engage with the student body towards organising the programme.
