Nigeria losing billions by exporting raw soyabeans – NEPC

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has urged farmers and processors in Kano State to embrace value addition in soyabean production, warning that Nigeria is forfeiting huge export earnings by shipping the commodity abroad in its raw form instead of processing it into higher-value products.

The Northwest Regional Coordinator of the NEPC, Amina Abdulmalik, stated this on Thursday during a technical support workshop for soyabean growers and processors held in Kano.

Speaking on the theme, “Importance and Benefits of Soyabeans Value Chain,” Abdulmalik said the country’s vast soyabean production would generate significantly more income if processed into finished products before export.

She said soyabeans have enormous commercial value beyond food consumption, serving as raw materials for the food, livestock feed, pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries.

“Many countries are looking for soyabean products. If we process our soyabeans through the value chain instead of exporting them raw, the country will earn more foreign exchange and our farmers and processors will make more money,” she said.

She noted that Kano remains one of Nigeria’s major soyabean-producing states but lamented that many producers were yet to exploit the opportunities available through value addition.

According to her, Nigerian soyabeans are exported to more than 100 countries where they are processed into various industrial and consumer products.

She said the workshop was organised to expose farmers and processors to modern processing techniques, quality standards and market opportunities that would improve their competitiveness in both domestic and international markets.

Abdulmalik said the initiative forms part of the NEPC’s commitment to promoting non-oil exports as a key strategy for diversifying Nigeria’s economy.

She urged participants to actively adopt value-chain practices, expressing optimism that at least 75 per cent of those trained would venture into processing soyabeans into finished products for export.

“The objective is to move beyond producing raw grains to creating products with higher market value. That is where the real income lies for farmers, processors and the country,” she said.

She also encouraged participants to strengthen collaboration across the soyabean value chain to boost productivity, improve product quality and position Nigeria as a leading player in the global soyabean market.

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