WorldStage– The leader of APC National Youth Wing, Dr. Dayo Israel on September 2, 2025, advanced on his leadership vision of integrating the young Nigerians into the vortex of the country’s political and economic life when he successfully hosted the Managing Director of the Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank, Abubakar Abba Bello, to address a gathering of young Nigerians and entrepreneurs at the APC Youth House in Abuja.
The event provided a platform for direct engagement between NEXIM and aspiring exporters, highlighting the government’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” for economic diversification.
Bello’s address focused on empowering the youth to capitalize on non-oil export opportunities through better access to finance, capacity building, and value addition.
Enlightening the youth on focus on non-oil exports and value addition, Bello emphasized the critical need for Nigerian entrepreneurs, especially the youth, to shift their focus from raw material exports to value-added processing.
He noted that while agriculture is a significant contributor to Nigeria’s economy, exporting raw materials like cashew, shea, and ginger limits income and creates missed opportunities. To counter this, he encouraged participants to invest in agro-processing, which would boost earnings, generate more local jobs, and make Nigeria more competitive in the global market.
Also speaking on Access to finance and the WAYEF initiative, his major part of the discussion centered on how young business owners can access NEXIM’s financial support. Bello highlighted the bank’s existing initiatives, including the Women and Youth Export Facility (WAYEF), which provides financing to women and youth-led businesses operating in the export value chain.
He assured attendees of the bank’s commitment to easing access to these funds by addressing the historical challenges of collateral requirements that have often hindered SMEs.
“The WAYEF facility and other interventions are designed to stimulate non-oil export and support entrepreneurs in expanding their operational capacities,” he asserted.
On the area of capacity building and market readiness, Bello stressed that finance is only one piece of the puzzle. He underscored the importance of building capacity for global competitiveness, including compliance with international standards, effective branding, and clear traceability of products.
He stated that these are baseline requirements for success in the international market, regardless of the financing available.
He disclosed that through initiatives like the Project Preparation Fund (PPF), NEXIM offers technical assistance to help SMEs develop bankable business proposals.
The session was highly interactive, allowing young entrepreneurs to voice their concerns directly to the MD and other NEXIM officials. The bank committed to maintaining an open-door policy and leveraging the Youth House platform to serve as a bridge between the government and young people.
The event demonstrated NEXIM’s strategic focus on inclusive economic growth, particularly in empowering youth and women, to unlock Nigeria’s vast non-oil trade potential.
Bello’s address served as a call to action for the youth to actively participate in building a more resilient, diversified, and globally competitive Nigerian economy.
Participating youths at the event responded to the NEXIM Bank MD’s address with a mix of appreciation for direct access and concerns over the practicalities of accessing funding, particularly regarding collateral requirements, the application process, and the need for technical support.
While many welcomed the engagement and described the session as impactful, they stressed the need for concrete follow-up actions and accountability to translate commitments into tangible results for youth-led businesses.
