NEPC Launches Youth For Export Programme

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, has launched its Youth for Export Programme, YEP.

On the occasion in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Evelyn Ngige said the programme would fast track youth empowerment and job creation in the Non-oil Export in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu in the area of Economic development.

The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the Director, Commodities and Export Department, Mr Kaura Irimiya commended the NEPC for the initiative and promised the Ministry’s support towards realizing the goals of the programme.

In their separate messages, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Ismaila Abubakar and the Director General, National Directorate of Employment, NDE, Mallam Abubakar Fikpo said the population of Nigerian youths should be effectively harnessed for socio -economic development of the country.

While describing the YEP programme as a welcomed development in employment creation and youth development, they advised youths to take advantage of the programme towards combating unemployment in the country.

Also speaking, the Director General of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier General Yusha’u Ahmed expressed the readiness of the Corps to collaborate with NEPC towards making the Corps members self reliant after their service.

Brigadier General Yusha’u Ahmed stated that the NYSC had already commenced engaging serving corps members on the export of some Non-oil products adding that the launch of the YEP programme is coming at the right time when the youths needed to be empowered for economic diversification and development.

Earlier, the Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Dr Ezra Yakusak said the YEP initiative is part of the Council’s continued commitment to fostering export inclusiveness, by harnessing the untapped potential of Nigerian youths to become export champions.

Dr Yakusak stated that Nigeria is blessed with a young vibrant population that is hard-working and resilient and it is estimated that the youth population constitute about 60% of Nigeria’s population.

According to him, the programme which is in partnership with the private sector is aimed at building capacity of the youth population by addressing export skill gaps, standards and quality requirements for export products; documentation and procedural issues as well as the technicalities involved in trading offshore.

Mathew Ayoola, Edited By Grace Namiji