Nigeria’s non-oil export sector recorded a historic milestone in 2025, with total export value rising to $6.1 billion, reflecting improved diversification, increased volumes, and broader market access, according to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
The disclosure was made by the Executive Director of NEPC, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, during a press briefing in Abuja on Nigeria’s 2025 non-oil export performance and the outlook for 2026.
Ayeni revealed that the export figures, compiled in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and other stakeholders, showed a year-on-year growth of approximately 11.5 percent compared to the $5.46 billion recorded in 2024.
She noted that the data, sourced from pre-shipment inspection agencies, represents the highest officially documented non-oil export value achieved since the establishment of the council.
According to Ayeni, the performance underscores the increasing resilience and strategic importance of the non-oil sector to Nigeria’s economic growth, although a significant volume of exports still moves through informal border channels.
In volume terms, Nigeria’s non-oil exports reached 8.02 million metric tonnes in 2025, marking a 10 percent increase from the 7.29 million metric tonnes recorded the previous year. The growth in both volume and value, she said, reflects stronger activity across multiple value chains and expanding destination markets.
Ayeni disclosed that Nigeria exported 281 different non-oil products during the year, spanning agricultural produce, processed and semi-processed goods, industrial inputs, and solid minerals. This, she noted, signals gradual progress toward value addition and greater product diversity in global trade.
Export destinations expanded to 120 countries, with the Netherlands accounting for 17.53 percent of total export value, followed by Brazil at 10.35 percent and India at 7.63 percent. Exports to the Netherlands grew by 32.46 percent, driven by shipments of cocoa beans, cocoa butter, sesame seeds, and related products, while exports to Brazil rose by 19.07 percent.
Ayeni attributed the strong performance to ongoing economic reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the strategy has delivered measurable outcomes in job creation, poverty reduction, and enhanced global trade positioning.
She also highlighted the role of supportive policies from the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, alongside NEPC initiatives focused on exporter capacity building, certification support, market access, and compliance improvements across the export value chain.
Commending Nigerian exporters, Ayeni acknowledged the challenges posed by logistics bottlenecks, regulatory hurdles, and global market uncertainties but praised their resilience and commitment.
She added that collaboration among government agencies, private sector operators, and development partners strengthened the implementation of the “Double Your Export” initiative and related programmes.
Key export products during the year included cocoa beans, urea, cashew nuts, sesame seeds, gold dore, aluminium ingots, rubber, and copper ingots.
Ayeni noted that exports to ECOWAS countries declined slightly following the exit of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the regional bloc, impacting intra-African trade figures. Nevertheless, she emphasized that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) remains central to expanding regional trade and positioning Nigeria as a continental export hub.
She attributed the record performance to reduced export rejections, improved documentation, better logistics recovery, and strong global demand for Nigerian commodities, expressing optimism that sustained reforms will further strengthen non-oil exports as a core pillar of Nigeria’s economic diversification strategy.
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