The Nigerian Export Promotion Council has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s non-oil export sector by training 35 senior military officers on export development, procedures and value chain opportunities, as part of strategic engagement with the Nigeria Army Resource Centre.
Participants of the Strategic Management and Policy Studies Course 8/25, led by Professor Okey Ikechukwu, visited the Council’s headquarters in Abuja under a study tour designed to assess the implementation of government policies and their implications for sustainable development and national security.
Addressing the delegation, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, outlined the Council’s mandate as the Federal Government’s apex institution for promoting and diversifying Nigeria’s economic base away from over-reliance on oil.
In a statement by the Deputy Director, Head of Corporate Communication, Aliu Sadiq, Mrs. Ayeni reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to building a sustainable non-oil export sector capable of contributing significantly to national economic growth.
Mrs. Ayeni also highlighted the role of the NEPC Academy in strengthening institutional capacity across the export value chain, noting that the Academy has trained personnel from various government agencies.
She expressed readiness to extend the Council’s export curriculum to the Nigeria Army Resource Centre to broaden participation within the export ecosystem.
Professor Ikechukwu explained that the eleven-month executive programme is designed for senior military officers of the rank of Colonel and above, alongside counterparts from security and intelligence agencies, as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
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The study visits, he noted, form part of the course requirement aimed at evaluating strategic government institutions and policy execution.
As part of the engagement, NEPC officials facilitated a technical workshop covering export procedures, documentation, registration requirements and participation guidelines.
A separate session focused on product development and export value chain initiatives, introducing participants to exportable products, classification, sourcing, packaging and other pre-export processes.
One of the participants, Dr. Bello Murtala, commended the Council for the training and described export business as a viable avenue for wealth creation and job generation, while urging sustained sensitization to encourage broader national participation.
Jennifer Inah/VON
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