By Oluwakemi Kindnaess
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has asked the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to establish export hubs in universities across the six geopolitical zones.
NANS said the hubs would train and mentor students on export development and help prepare them for opportunities in the global market.
The student body made the proposal during a courtesy visit to the Executive Director of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, at the council’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday according to a statement on Wednesday by Aliu Seidu-Sadiq, Deputy Director, Head of Corporate Communication, NEPC.
NANS Secretary-General and leader of the delegation, Comrade Oladimeji Uthman Fodio, said the association also wanted NEPC to train students on the export of Nigerian products and services.
According to him, the training would equip students with export skills and make it easier for them to venture into the sector after graduation.
NANS also proposed that NEPC deploy staff to the campus hubs to provide training and mentorship on export development.
The association further proposed a national summit, tagged “Students Export & Entrepreneurship Initiative From Campus to Global Market.”
NANS said the summit would focus on training, identification, development, connection, exposure and skills.
Responding, Ayeni described Nigerian youths as vibrant, passionate and entrepreneurial, saying they form a key component of the country’s non-oil export ecosystem.
She assured NANS of the council’s readiness to partner with the student body.
Ayeni also directed relevant NEPC directors to meet with NANS to organise the proposed national summit.
She highlighted the council’s existing youth-focused programmes, including its Export Skills Acquisition Centre (ESAC), established in partnership with LeLook Academy.
According to Ayeni, the centre has trained more than 1,000 youths in garment and bag making since its establishment, with some of the bags exported to international markets.
She added that NEPC organised 728 capacity-building programmes across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in 2025, benefiting more than 10,000 people.
The visit ended with NANS decorating Ayeni as its National Ambassador.
