NEPC, NANS Unveil STEP-X To Take Nigerian Students From Campus To Global Market

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in conjunction with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has launched the Students Trade, Entrepreneurship and Export Programme (STEP-X).

The programme, themed ‘From Campus to Global Market: Empowering Nigerian Students for Non-oil Export and Global Entrepreneurship’, was unveiled as part of efforts to increase certified non-oil exports and accelerate employment creation through entrepreneur mentorship.

The executive director/chief executive officer of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, said the essence of STEP-X is to train students and equip them with the necessary skills and certifications to enable them benefit from the global market, especially the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

According to her, the programme will be replicated in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

Ayeni said certification helps exporters to access niche markets, adhere to international quality and standards and play actively in the global market.

She disclosed that the Council ran 728 training programmes in 2025 and impacted 96,221 people through its 36 state and regional offices, while under its Go Global Certification, it gave international certifications to 210 Small and Medium Enterprises free of charge, bringing total certification so far to over 600.

“We have started another round of certifications now so if you have products you can apply if you qualify,” she said.

She added that the Export Skill Acquisition Centre in partnership with Lelook is currently training women and youths in bag and shoe making at the Council’s office in Apapa, noting that over 300 women and youths have been trained with a target of 1,000.

“We have also onboarded more than 70 SMEs on Jumia. The aim is to make Made-in-Nigeria goods easier to find abroad, cut selling costs and open new markets through digital trade and e-commerce,” Ayeni said.

On his part, the national president of NANS, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde, represented by the secretary general, Comrade Oladimeji Uthman Salawudeen, described STEP-X as a laudable project that will help launch students from classrooms to the global market.

“We all understand that the four walls of our classroom is not only for us as students to learn. We can also learn how to be independent, so that we can become employers of labour and not job seekers,” he said.

He noted that some students are already entrepreneurs making shoes, bags, clothes and fabrics, beads and kuli-kuli, among others.

“With this programme, more Nigerian students would be benefiting immensely from international trade which will also add to the country’s foreign exchange earnings,” he said.

He said the massive turnout of students at the launch showed confidence in the impact of the programme, stressing that students do not want to be victims of joblessness.

“There is no job anywhere, and we don’t want to be victims of job seekers. That is why most of us are already into one trade or the other,” he added.