Nigerian Export Promotion Council operations

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) is managing internal administrative disputes alongside new economic initiatives. Employees have accused CEO Nonye Ayeni of attempting to manipulate the 2026 staff promotion exercise by reintroducing the Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER) scoring system to favor loyalists. Management has dismissed these allegations as “baseless,” maintaining that all processes follow federal civil service directives.

Concurrently, the NEPC is pursuing a nationwide export expansion drive to double non-oil export earnings. This strategy includes a focus on transitioning from raw commodity exports to processed goods and targeting women and youth. As part of this human-capital development effort, the Council has launched a training program in Kano to equip civil servants approaching retirement with skills in the production, processing, and international distribution of Nigerian products.

Expanding its focus on youth empowerment, the NEPC is currently exploring a partnership with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to increase student involvement in the non-oil export sector. During a courtesy visit to the NEPC headquarters in Abuja, NANS Secretary-General Oladimeji Uthman Fodio emphasized that because youths comprise over 60 percent of Nigeria’s population, they should be trained to participate in the export value chain.

NANS has proposed establishing export hubs on university campuses across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, staffed by NEPC personnel to provide mentorship. The association also suggested a national summit, titled ‘Students Export & Entrepreneurship Initiative – From Campus to Global Market,’ to facilitate skills acquisition and connect students to the global export value chain.