The agreement follows the recent launch of the Sterling Bank Non-Oil Export Academy—an initiative created to help Nigerian exporters build the technical knowledge, global competitiveness, and operational capacity required to succeed in international markets. The programme was preceded by a series of nationwide training sessions held in Lagos, Ondo, and Kano, culminating in a grand finale themed “Excel in Non-Oil Export.”
Building a Competitive Export Community
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Sterling Bank’s Managing Director and CEO, Abubakar Suleiman, said the bank is committed to creating an ecosystem where exporters are well-informed and positioned to contribute to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
“We are not just training people to understand how to export; we want to train them to be competitive exporters of non-oil products,” Suleiman said. “Our goal is to build a community of knowledgeable, certified, and confident exporters who can collaborate to solve challenges beyond their immediate capacity. Our North Star is to reach a point where hundreds of people have completed this programme and are ready to compete on a global scale.”
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| L-R: Kola Oluyemi, Group Head, Sterling Academy; Dr. Nneka Okekearu, Director, Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Pan Atlantic University (PAU); Abubakar Suleiman, MD/CEO, Sterling Bank; Dr. Nnenna Ugwu, Head, Alumni Engagement and Support Services, EDC at PAU; and Akporee Idenedo, Divisional Head, Commercial Banking, Sterling Bank at the recent MoU signing to certify graduates of Sterling Bank’s Non-Oil Export Academy. |
EDC’s Expertise Brought Into the Fold
Dr. Nneka Okekearu, Director of the Enterprise Development Centre, praised the collaboration, noting that the EDC’s 23 years of experience developing entrepreneurs would enrich the academy’s curriculum and outcomes.
“We thoroughly understand what is needed and are excited to be part of this initiative,” she said. Dr. Okekearu added that Nigeria’s export market has been neglected for too long, and that structured training and certification could help reposition the sector. “With the right structure, standards, and mindset in place, entrepreneurs passing through this programme will help create not only a better Nigeria but more sustainable communities,” she emphasized.
She also highlighted her anticipation for the case studies that will emerge from the academy’s future cohorts, which she believes will serve as learning tools for the wider ecosystem.
Enhancing Human Capital for National Growth
Beyond its sector-specific benefits, the partnership reinforces Sterling Bank’s broader commitment to human capital development as a pathway to national economic resilience. The Non-Oil Export Academy will run four cohorts annually beginning in 2026, with the certification from EDC expected to boost the credibility of graduates and enhance their competitiveness in global trade.
With Nigeria’s economy still heavily dependent on oil exports, the initiative represents a concrete effort to diversify earnings, build export capacity, and nurture a new class of globally oriented entrepreneurs capable of driving long-term sustainable growth.