No fewer than 50 agribusiness stakeholders in Oyo State have received training on export readiness, international market access and global trade requirements as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.

The Export Readiness Training, held in Ibadan, was organised by FutuX Agri-consult Ltd in partnership with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, with support from the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Stanbic IBTC.

Participants, who attended physically and virtually, included farmers, agro-processors, exporters, agribusiness entrepreneurs, researchers, development practitioners and government officials.

Speaking at the programme, the Director-General of the DAWN Commission, Dr Seye Oyeleye, said the future of agriculture lies not only in increased production but also in value addition, competitiveness and access to profitable markets.

According to him, although opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) continue to expand, agribusinesses must meet requirements relating to certification, quality assurance, packaging and compliance with international standards to participate successfully in regional and global markets.

Representatives of the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Abosede Esther Owoeye, reiterated the state government’s commitment to building an export-oriented agricultural economy.

The ministry stressed the need for agribusinesses to move beyond primary production into processing, branding, certification, traceability and compliance with international standards to maximise the value of commodities such as cassava, maize, cocoa, cashew, soybean, shea butter and horticultural crops.

Chief Executive Officer of FutuX Agri-consult Ltd, Babatunde Olarewaju, said the company remains committed to promoting sustainable agriculture and developing globally competitive agribusinesses.

He noted that over the past eight years, the firm has supported farmers, exporters and agribusinesses through technical advisory services, certification implementation, capacity building and market access initiatives across Africa and beyond.

The training featured sessions on export procedures, documentation, food safety and sustainability certification, branding, packaging, labelling and market opportunities.

Facilitators included the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) State Coordinator, Mrs Bolanle Emmanuel; FutuX Associate Consultant, Mr Taiwo Onifade; export expert and Chief Executive Officer of ADVIC Foods, Mr Aduragbemi Fasakin; as well as representatives of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T).

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Project Lead of the Export Readiness Programme, Rosemary Adeoti, said the initiative began as a virtual export capacity-building programme in early 2025 and has since trained more than 200 agribusinesses across Africa.

She explained that the programme has evolved into state-level and continent-wide physical engagements, with Oyo State becoming the first beneficiary of the physical export readiness training initiative.

Participants described the programme as a practical intervention capable of improving product quality, creating jobs, increasing foreign exchange earnings and accelerating export growth.

The training ended with a call for stronger collaboration among government agencies, financial institutions, research organisations, development partners and private-sector stakeholders to build a competitive export ecosystem that supports sustainable economic growth and increased participation in global trade.