Zenith Bank Plc hosted the 10th edition of its International Trade Seminar on Non-Oil Export on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, marking a decade of sustained advocacy for the structural diversification of Nigeria’s economy. 

The virtual event brought together policymakers, regulators, exporters, manufacturers, and development partners from across Africa under the theme “Unlocking Value and Harnessing Growth.”

In her welcome address, Zenith Bank’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, paid tribute to Founder Dr. Jim Ovia, whose vision launched the platform in 2015. 

Highlighting the sector’s growth trajectory, Umeoji revealed that Nigeria’s non-oil exports reached a record $6.1 billion in 2025, up 11.5 per cent from $5.46 billion in 2024, representing a massive leap from the $612 million recorded a decade ago.

Emphasising the core objective of the event, Umeoji urged participants to turn these numbers into lasting economic impact. “Our theme, ‘Unlocking Value and Harnessing Growth’, is not just a slogan. It speaks to the opportunities before us and the need to translate our collective efforts into sustainable economic value,” she said. 

She commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for reform initiatives creating an enabling business environment, and Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso for reforms boosting market confidence. 

Pointing to the bank’s digital trade infrastructure, including the SMARTAfCFTA portal and integration with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), Umeoji added: “Wherever our exporters need to reach, Zenith Bank will reach with them.”

Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, argued that retaining value domestically remains paramount. “The question before us now is not simply how to export more, but how to retain more value in Nigeria from everything we export,” she asserted, highlighting the vast potential of the $3.4 trillion AfCFTA market,” she said.

Echoing this sentiment, Professor Benedict Oramah, Chair of the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), noted that the global economic climate demands internal resilience. “The question is no longer whether Africa can attract enough external capital and external demand to power its growth. The question is whether Africa, and Nigeria within it, can build her own internal demand,” he declared. 

Private sector leader Mrs. Patricia Poku-Diaby, Founder of Plot Enterprise Ghana Limited, put it plainly: “Let us make no mistake: the future of our economy will not be determined simply by what we grow or what we mine, but by what we transform.”

UK trade representative Ms. Mujina Kaindama and AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene also underscored the importance of moving up regional value chains. 

Over the past decade, Zenith Bank has positioned itself at the forefront of this movement, continuing to back Nigerian exporters with strategic financing, incentives, and practical market support.