The Nigerian Export Promotion Council, working alongside the International Trade Centre, opened a two-day needs assessment and validation workshop in Kano this week targeting communication strategies for sanitary and phytosanitary compliance in the sesame and cowpea export sectors.
The workshop, which began April 14 and runs through April 15, convened farmers, exporters, industry associations, and development partners to confront the quality challenges that have led to rejection of Nigerian agricultural products in international markets. According to NEPC Executive Director Nonye Ayeni, the gathering was designed to identify coordination gaps and overlaps in addressing SPS barriers within both value chains.
Building Export Compliance Capacity
"This two-day event aims to identify gaps, overlaps, and areas for synergy in addressing SPS issues in the sesame and cowpea value chains. We will also identify the most effective communication and information framework for raising awareness on SPS compliance issues as they relate to these value chains," Ayeni stated at the opening.
She told participants that the outcome should produce an efficient, impactful, and fully inclusive communication awareness strategy capable of reaching all segments of the supply chain.
The session forms part of the Standard Trade Development Facility project 845, which launched in 2024 specifically to address compliance challenges affecting sesame and cowpea exports. NEPC is serving as implementing agency, coordinating with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, NAFDAC, and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service.
Export Performance Context
Ayeni highlighted Nigeria's recent export achievements as context for the initiative. The country recorded a non-oil export value of $6.1bn in 2025, the highest figure in its history, while export volume reached 8.02 million metric tonnes. Nigerian producers shipped 281 products to 120 countries, including 11 ECOWAS members and 32 African nations outside the regional bloc.
The council has also expanded its nationwide operational footprint to support exporters directly and has facilitated international certifications for more than 210 producers across Halal, FDA, and ISO standards.
Ayeni noted that coordination with SON, NAFDAC, and NAQS has already produced a drastic reduction in export rejections, and the lessons from the STDF 845 project would be extended to other value chains going forward.
Phased Training Structure
Macpherson Fred, Director of Product Development at NEPC, outlined the programme's dual-track design targeting both upstream and downstream participants. The communication workshop running through April 15 focuses on farmers and primary producers. From April 16 through 17, a separate export quality management training session will serve exporters, aggregators, and downstream actors to strengthen their capacity to meet international standards.
Fred explained that persistent challenges made the initiative necessary, citing the 2015 European Union ban on Nigerian cowpea exports and ongoing issues with pesticide residue levels in the sesame value chain that have triggered rejections at international borders.