The Nigerian Export Promotion Council has urged the Kaduna State Government to collaborate with it in creating massive job opportunities for young people by harnessing the state’s vast potential in the non-oil export sector.
Speaking in Kaduna on Tuesday at the Youth Export Development Programme themed “From Passion to Port: Unlocking Youth Export Potential”, NEPC’s Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nonye Ayeni, said the programme was deliberately hosted in Kaduna to complement ongoing state-led initiatives aimed at improving youth livelihoods.
Ayeni, who was represented by the Kaduna State Coordinator of NEPC, Mr Kajuru Y. Sadoh, described Kaduna as a strategic industrial hub with abundant exportable commodities such as ginger, maize, tomatoes, soybeans, and cotton.
“Our goal is to equip youth-led businesses in Kaduna State to compete internationally,” Ayeni said.
“Let us work together to integrate more youth into the non-oil export ecosystem and thereby promote job creation, community development, and sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.”
She stressed that transforming young people from job seekers to wealth creators was possible if they tapped into global trade opportunities.
“We are gathered here to unlock opportunities in non-oil exports that will position our youth for success in the global marketplace,” she continued.
“The NEPC is deeply committed to increasing youth participation in non-oil export value chains through capacity building, mentorship, advisory services, and trade facilitation accessible to young entrepreneurs.”
In a goodwill message, the General Manager of the Kaduna State Agricultural Development Agency, Muhammad Rili, said agriculture was not just a tradition in Kaduna but “a strategic economic driver”.
According to him, Governor Uba Sani’s administration is determined to modernise agriculture into a “technology-driven, export-oriented sector” that sees young people as partners in innovation rather than passive beneficiaries.
“Many of our youth have brilliant ideas — processing ginger into premium spice blends, turning hibiscus into high-value tea products, or transforming shea butter into world-class cosmetics,” Rili noted, “but ideas alone cannot cross the seas; they need structure, market intelligence, and adherence to international standards.”
He said KADA works closely with agencies like NEPC to provide training in product quality certification, packaging, and compliance with international trade requirements.
“Kaduna’s youth should not just compete in local markets; they should dominate in global value chains.
“When we speak of ‘port’, we are not only talking about physical export points. The ‘port’ also represents readiness — having the capacity, networks, and confidence to ship our products anywhere in the world,” he said.
Rili emphasised the need for technical and entrepreneurial skills, affordable financing for start-up export ventures, and direct connections to international buyers. He also encouraged leveraging e-commerce to bypass traditional export bottlenecks.
Mixing urgency with inspiration, the KADA boss referenced both the Bible and Islamic Hadiths to remind the audience of life’s brevity and the need for disciplined speed in economic pursuits.
“In such a brief window, we cannot afford to move at the pace of hesitation. The future of Kaduna’s youth deserves the growth speed of Mach 23 — 17,500 miles per hour — breaking barriers, crossing new frontiers, and turning potential into performance.
“This is not a call for reckless haste; it is a call for disciplined urgency, moving fast with purpose, fuelled by innovation, guided by critical thinking, and anchored in shared values,” he said.
The State Commissioner of Youth Development, Gloria Ibrahim, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Al-Amin Murtala Daboh, said the ministry had reactivated partnerships and enhanced relationships with reputable organisations and donors, both local and international, to directly impact the lives of young people in the state.
“We want Kaduna youth to become the best in Nigeria in terms of creativity, innovation, and self-reliance. We are open to more partnerships and programmes that will equip our youth with skills, entrepreneurship, and innovations,” she said.
Ibrahim thanked the NEPC for choosing Kaduna for the programme and assured that the ministry was ready for deeper collaboration on youth-related interventions.
