The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has raised concerns over the low participation of businesses in Nigeria’s export sector. It, however, unveiled a support platform aimed at helping micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) overcome barriers to international trade.

This comes as stakeholders call for the inclusion of export studies in tertiary institutions as part of efforts to deepen participation in Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.

Speaking at an event held at the NACCIMA secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos, Chairman of the NACCIMA Export Group, Kola Awe, said the initiative was driven by the need to improve export performance, noting that only a small fraction of registered exporters accounts for a significant share of the country’s export value.

Awe noted that despite the size of Nigeria’s population, export participation remains weak, stressing that the non-oil export sector holds the strongest potential to stabilise the economy if properly developed.

According to him, the complexity of export processes has discouraged many small businesses from participating, as transactions often require dealing with multiple agencies and complying with several international regulations.

“The export sector is very complex. You are dealing with different international laws and multiple regulatory requirements. For a single transaction, you engage with about six or seven, close to ten agencies,” he said. He added that the difficulties often lead to failed transactions, discouraging first-time exporters from returning.

“When there is complexity and difficulty, what happens is a shortcut. A shortcut leads to rejection. That is why many try once and never want to try again,” Awe said.

To address these challenges, he said NACCIMA established the Export Express Support Centre as a practical intervention to simplify export processes and provide direct support to businesses. “The centre is built on knowledge, training, innovation and support. We are not charging anybody for knowledge. It is a platform for exporters to get the information and assistance they need,” he said.

Awe explained that the centre would go beyond advisory by offering hands-on support to resolve issues related to logistics, documentation, procurement and regulatory compliance.

NACCIMA National President, Dr Jani Ibrahim, said the centre was designed as a one-stop hub to guide exporters and strengthen their capacity to compete in regional and global markets. “It will serve as a one-stop hub providing guidance, tools and technical support to exporters, helping them navigate documentation, meet standards and access new markets with confidence,” he said.

He stressed that strengthening Nigeria’s export ecosystem requires practical support systems in addition to policy frameworks.

At the event, Polaris Bank Plc donated equipment to support the take-off of the centre, a move stakeholders described as critical to building the infrastructure needed for export development.

Executive Director of the bank, Chris Ofikulu, said the intervention reflects the urgency of positioning Nigerian businesses for global markets.