The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has distributed 23,239 hybrid seedlings and farm inputs to 3,047 farmers nationwide as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s non-oil export sector.
The initiative, under the council’s Corporate Social Investment scheme, includes cocoa, sesame, and oil palm seedlings designed to improve the quality and volume of export commodities.
Presenting the first-half 2025 Non-Oil Exports Performance Report, NEPC Executive Director/CEO, Nonye Ayeni, said the intervention has enhanced farmers’ production capacity to meet global market demand.
In addition, more than 150 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have benefitted from the council’s Export Mentorship Programme. The scheme paired 60 exporters from different states with five top-performing exporters for practical, hands-on training. Ayeni noted that the mentorship has boosted participants’ confidence and competence in handling export procedures and documentation.
The council also organised sensitisation workshops in Lagos and Kano to highlight market opportunities along various species value chains. Over 100 SMEs were briefed on global market requirements and export prospects for their products.
Ayeni reaffirmed NEPC’s commitment to positioning Nigeria’s non-oil sector as a key driver of economic diversification and sustainable growth.
