The Nigerian Export Promotion Council has partnered with the International Trade Centre to strengthen compliance in sesame and cowpea exports through a stakeholder workshop in Kano.
The collaboration was unveiled during a two-day needs assessment and validation workshop aimed at improving communication strategies on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards for sesame and cowpea value chains.
The event, which began on Tuesday, brought together farmers, exporters, associations, and development partners to address quality challenges and reduce the rejection of Nigerian agricultural exports in international markets.
Speaking at the opening, NEPC Executive Director, Nonye Ayeni, said the initiative seeks to identify gaps and improve coordination in tackling SPS-related issues.
“This two-day event aims to identify gaps, overlaps, and areas for synergy in addressing SPS issues in the sesame and cowpea value chains. We will also identify the most effective communication framework for raising awareness,” she said.
She emphasised that effective communication remains key to improving compliance and ensuring stakeholders understand both local and international export standards.
Export growth
Mrs Ayeni highlighted NEPC’s progress in promoting non-oil exports, revealing that Nigeria recorded $6.1bn in non-oil export value in 2025 — the highest on record.
Export volume also reached 8.02 million metric tonnes, with 281 products shipped to 120 countries, including nations within Economic Community of West African States and across Africa.
She added that the council has facilitated international certifications for over 210 exporters, including Halal, FDA, and ISO standards, to enhance global competitiveness.
Compliance drive
The NEPC boss noted that the workshop forms part of the STDF 845 initiative launched in 2024 to address compliance challenges in sesame and cowpea exports, with NEPC serving as the implementing agency.
She said collaboration with agencies such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service has led to a reduction in export rejections.
“The lessons learned from this project will be extended to other value chains,” she added, while commending ITC for its continued support.
Capacity building
Also speaking, NEPC Director of Product Development, Macpherson Fred, explained that the programme is structured to address both upstream and downstream actors.
“This programme is a two-in-one engagement. The communication workshop focuses on farmers and producers, while the export quality management training will target exporters and aggregators,” he said.
The training sessions are scheduled to continue from April 16 to 17, focusing on strengthening capacity to meet international standards.
Background challenges
Mr Fred noted that the initiative became necessary due to persistent issues affecting Nigeria’s agricultural exports, including previous bans and quality concerns.
“You will recall that in 2015, there was a ban on cowpea exports to the European Union, while pesticide residue issues in sesame have also led to rejections at international borders,” he said.
He added that the partnership aims to improve compliance and achieve zero rejection of Nigerian exports globally.
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