Exporters Dispute Viral Claim of $270M Saudi Deal

A group of Nigerian exporters has dismissed a viral claim of a $270 million export deal with Saudi Arabia as false and misleading, calling for greater accountability in government communications after a controversial promotional video linked to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) stirred widespread confusion.

The video, which has been circulating on social media, features a presenter identified as Sir Abdullah of Easy Sales Export declaring: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave me $270 million.”

He goes on to claim that President Tinubu signed a trade deal at an economic summit in 2024 involving the export of soya beans and red meat to Saudi Arabia.

Despite the bold assertions, official trade data from Nigeria shows no record of a $270 million export to Saudi Arabia by any company or consortium in 2024. In fact, Nigeria’s total agricultural exports to Saudi Arabia in 2024 amounted to less than $500,000, leaving many industry players baffled.

“There is no such deal in the records. This is not only misleading—it damages our credibility in international markets,” the group said.

The video, which purports to promote a free e-commerce training session allegedly hosted by the NEPC, is riddled with inconsistencies. Notably, the speaker claims: “I am not afraid to say it—yes, I am not joking,” yet offers no concrete details such as the year of execution or product breakdown. Industry observers point out that red meat does not fall under the standard classification of agricultural produce, further questioning the video’s legitimacy.

“This narrative is not only false but irresponsible. There are bureaucratic and logistical processes involved in exportation—no one benefits overnight from a deal allegedly signed less than a year ago,” the group added.

The NEPC promo seems to reference a government proposal announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, which outlined plans for the annual export of 200,000 metric tons of red meat and one million metric tons of soya beans to Saudi Arabia. However, the combined value of that trade proposal far exceeds the $270 million claimed in the video, suggesting the promo either misinterpreted or deliberately distorted official projections.

Making matters worse, the video contains politically charged commentary: “Life is hard in Nigeria, fuel is expensive, food prices are high, the dollar rate is crazy, and people are angry.” Critics argue this is tantamount to undermining the government from within.

“Is NEPC now echoing opposition rhetoric?” one stakeholder asked. “This is unacceptable from a government agency.”

Many have likened the language in the video to banned music by Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem. His 2004 song “Tell Your Papa”, which contains lyrics like “country hard, hunger dey, anger dey,” was prohibited by the National Broadcasting Commission for being “inappropriate.” Stakeholders argue that if such criticism was considered objectionable then, a government agency promoting similar views must face scrutiny.

In a bid to verify the promo’s claims, concerned parties visited www.easysalesexport.com on April 21. While the website boasts various exporter success stories, no mention of a $270 million deal or Saudi Arabia trade could be found—only a vague claim that a client saw a 40% revenue increase from expansion into the Saudi market, without specifics on products or transaction value.

Another disputed claim from the promo is: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu instructed the Nigerian Export Promotion Council to train, equip, and facilitate Nigerians on how to grow in export.” According to experts, such a directive would either be public knowledge or formally announced. Moreover, the NEPC is already mandated by law to carry out such functions—raising questions about the competence and motives of the agency’s leadership.

“Why would NEPC need a presidential directive to do its job? This is a failure of governance and professionalism,” it said.

The promotional content also raises concerns about NEPC’s strategic focus. While the government promotes value-added manufacturing for exports, the video’s heavy focus on raw agricultural exports contradicts that direction.

“This entire episode is a public relations disaster. Whatever the goal was, it has backfired—embarrassing not just NEPC, but the Tinubu administration,” they said.

With the controversy still unfolding, calls are growing louder for NEPC leadership to clarify the origin and intent of the video—and to ensure that public communications reflect accuracy, responsibility, and alignment with national export policy.