NEPC and ITC hold workshops to boost sesame and cowpea export standards
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) have launched a joint workshop to improve compliance with export standards for sesame and cowpea. The event brings together farmers, exporters, and industry partners to tackle quality and rejection issues in international markets. Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director of NEPC, highlighted the importance of effective communication and coordination in addressing these challenges. The initiative aims to strengthen Nigeria’s position in non-oil exports and ensure products meet global requirements.
TLDR
- The NEPC and ITC are holding a two-day communication and awareness workshop in Kano to address sanitary and phytosanitary compliance for sesame and cowpea exports.
- Nonye Ayeni stated that Nigeria recorded a non-oil export value of $6.1bn in 2025, its highest ever, and exported 281 products to 120 countries.
- The workshop is part of the STDF 845 initiative launched in 2024, with NEPC as the implementing agency.
- Macpherson Fred announced that the communication workshop runs from April 14 to April 15, followed by export quality management training from April 16 to April 17.
- In 2015, there was a ban on cowpea exports to the European Union due to compliance issues, and similar challenges have affected sesame exports.
