By Jide Akinseye
In a renewed push to strengthen Nigeria’s non-oil export performance, key stakeholders in the sesame and cowpea value chains have converged to tackle long-standing quality and compliance challenges limiting the country’s competitiveness in international markets.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), in collaboration with the International Trade Centre (ITC), has engaged critical stakeholders in the sesame and cowpea industries to address challenges hindering the competitiveness of Nigerian produce in the global market.
The engagement focused on conducting a needs assessment and validating sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) compliance requirements essential for boosting sesame and cowpea exports.
Bringing together key players across the value chain, the initiative aims to resolve persistent issues affecting export quality and the frequent rejection of Nigerian agricultural products at international borders.
Speaking at the opening session, NEPC Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nonye Ayeni, said the programme was designed to identify gaps, eliminate overlaps, and enhance coordination in addressing SPS concerns within the value chains.
According to her, the two-day engagement is structured to pinpoint areas requiring synergy while also developing an effective communication framework to improve awareness and compliance among stakeholders.
Ayeni emphasised that proper dissemination of information remains critical to ensuring that actors within the sesame and cowpea value chains are aligned with both local and global standards.
She expressed optimism that the outcome of the sessions would yield a robust, inclusive, and impactful communication strategy capable of strengthening compliance across the board.
Highlighting NEPC’s broader mandate, Ayeni disclosed that Nigeria recorded a historic $6.1 billion in non-oil exports in 2025, alongside an export volume of 8.02 million metric tonnes. She noted that 281 products were exported to 120 countries, including markets within ECOWAS and across Africa.
She further revealed that NEPC has expanded its nationwide operations to support exporters and has facilitated international certifications—such as Halal, FDA, and ISO—for over 210 exporters.
The NEPC boss explained that the engagement 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 added that collaboration with regulatory bodies including SON, NAFDAC, and NAQS has already led to a significant reduction in export rejections, noting that lessons from the project would be extended to other agricultural value chains.
Ayeni also commended the International Trade Centre for its sustained partnership and technical support.
Providing further insight, NEPC Director of Product Development, Macphersons Fred, said the programme was deliberately structured to cover both upstream and downstream segments of the value chain.
He explained that the first phase, held from April 14 to 15, focused on communication and awareness for farmers and primary producers, while the second phase, scheduled for April 16 to 17, centres on Export Quality Management training for exporters, aggregators, and other downstream actors.
Fred noted that the initiative became necessary due to recurring challenges in Nigeria’s agricultural export sector, recalling the 2015 European Union ban on cowpea exports and ongoing concerns over pesticide residue levels in sesame.
He stressed that the collaboration between NEPC and ITC is aimed at improving compliance standards and enhancing Nigeria’s overall export capacity.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council, in collaboration with the International Trade Centre have engaged stakeholders’ in Sesame and Cowpea industry to address challenges militating local produces in the global market.
The Stakeholders were equally assembled on needs assessment and validation on sanitary and phytosanitary compliance for sesame and cowpea in the export market.
The engagement with the critical stakeholders in the industry became pertinent to address challenges affecting export quality and rejection of Nigerian agricultural produce at international markets.
Speaking at the opening, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, said the initiative was designed to identify gaps and improve coordination in addressing sanitary and phytosanitary issues within the sesame and cowpea value chains.
“This two-day event aims to identify some of the gaps, overlaps and areas for synergy in addressing SPS issues in the sesame and cowpea value chains.
“This two-day event aims to identify some of the gaps, overlaps and areas for synergy in addressing SPS issues in the sesame and cowpea value chains.
She noted that effective communication was critical to improving compliance and ensuring that stakeholders are properly informed about local and global standards.
“The importance of effective communication and dissemination of information to sesame and cowpea value chain actors cannot be overemphasised. At the end of the sessions, we expect to have an efficient, impactful and all-inclusive communication awareness strategy,” Ayeni added.
The NEPC boss highlighted the council’s role in promoting non-oil exports, stating that Nigeria recorded a non-oil export value of $6.1bn in 2025, the highest in its history.
“Export volume also reached a record 8.02 million metric tonnes. We exported 281 products to 120 countries, including 11 ECOWAS countries and 32 African countries,” she said.
its operations nationwide to support exporters and had facilitated international certifications for over 210 exporters in areas such as Halal, FDA and ISO standards.
Ayeni explained that the workshop was 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.
“Working with agencies such as SON, NAFDAC and NAQS, we have seen a drastic reduction in export rejection. The lessons learned from this project will be extended to other value chains,” she said.
She also commended the International Trade Centre for its continued partnership and support across various projects.
Briefing journalists at the event, the Director of Product Development at NEPC, Macphersons Fred, said the programme was structured to address both upstream and downstream actors in the value chain.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council, in collaboration with the International Trade Centre have engaged stakeholders’ in Sesame and Cowpea industry to address challenges militating local produces in the global market.
The Stakeholders were equally assembled on needs assessment and validation on sanitary and phytosanitary compliance for sesame and cowpea in the export market.
The engagement with the critical stakeholders in the industry became pertinent to address challenges affecting export quality and rejection of Nigerian agricultural produce at international markets.
Speaking at the opening, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, said the initiative was designed to identify gaps and improve coordination in addressing sanitary and phytosanitary issues within the sesame and cowpea value chains.
“This two-day event aims to identify some of the gaps, overlaps and areas for synergy in addressing SPS issues in the sesame and cowpea value chains.
“We will also be identifying the most effective communication and information framework for raising awareness on SPS compliance issues as it pertains to these value chains.”
She noted that effective communication was critical to improving compliance and ensuring that stakeholders are properly informed about local and global standards.
“The importance of effective communication and dissemination of information to sesame and cowpea value chain actors cannot be overemphasised. At the end of the sessions, we expect to have an efficient, impactful and all-inclusive communication awareness strategy,” Ayeni added.
The NEPC boss highlighted the council’s role in promoting non-oil exports, stating that Nigeria recorded a non-oil export value of $6.1bn in 2025, the highest in its history.
“Export volume also reached a record 8.02 million metric tonnes. We exported 281 products to 120 countries, including 11 ECOWAS countries and 32 African countries,” she said.
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She added that the council had expanded its operations nationwide to support exporters and had facilitated international certifications for over 210 exporters in areas such as Halal, FDA and ISO standards.
Ayeni explained that the workshop was 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.
“Working with agencies such as SON, NAFDAC and NAQS, we have seen a drastic reduction in export rejection. The lessons learned from this project will be extended to other value chains,” she said.
She also commended the International Trade Centre for its continued partnership and support across various projects.
Briefing journalists at the event, the Director of Product Development at NEPC, Macphersons Fred, said the programme was structured to address both upstream and downstream actors in the value chain.
“This programme is a two-in-one engagement. The communication and awareness workshop, which started on April 14 and will end on April 15, targets farmers and primary producers. From April 16 to 17, we will also conduct Export Quality Management training for exporters, aggregators and other downstream actors.”
He said the initiative became necessary due to persistent challenges affecting Nigeria’s agricultural exports.
“You will recall that in 2015, there was a ban on cowpea export to the European Union. For sesame, we have issues with pesticide residue levels, which have led to export rejection at international borders,” he said.
Fred noted that the partnership between NEPC and ITC was aimed at improving compliance and boosting Nigeria’s export capacity.
