By TONI KAN

Nigeria’s non-oil export sector closed 2025 on a historic high, posting its strongest performance since the establishment of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

New data released in Abuja on January 19th at a press briefing on the performance of non-oil export for 2025 shows that both export receipts and volumes surged past 2024 levels, reinforcing the country’s accelerating shift toward a diversified, globally competitive economy.

Presenting the results, the Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, described 2025 as “an impressive year” in which Nigeria “took giant strides in our efforts to diversify the economy and grow the non-oil export sector.”

Record Growth in Receipts and Volume

The sector recorded US$6.1 billion in non-oil export earnings in 2025 – an 11.5% increase over the US$5.46 billion achieved in 2024. This marks the highest formally documented non-oil export value in Nigeria’s history.

In volume terms, exports rose to 8.02 million metric tonnes, up 10% from 7.29 million metric tonnes in 2024.

Ayeni noted that this performance “underscores the growing resilience and relevance of the non-oil export sector to Nigeria’s economy,” adding that the Council is working with NBS, CBN, and other partners to mainstream informal exports that remain unrecorded.

Top Global Destinations: Netherlands Leads Again

Nigeria exported non-oil products to a total of 120 countries in 2025. The top 10 global destinations by value were: Netherlands – 17.53%; Brazil – 10.35%; India – 7.63%; Belgium – 7.62%; United States – 5.66%; Vietnam – 5.60%; Germany – 5.58%; China – 5.56%; Switzerland – 3.75% and Japan – 3.43%. Exports to the Netherlands alone grew by 32.46%, driven by cocoa beans, cocoa butter, sesame seeds, and other high value commodities.

African Markets: 36 Countries, Two in the Global Top 20

Within Africa, Nigeria exported to 36 countries, including 11 ECOWAS members with total receipts amounting to US$478.2 million. Although ECOWAS receipts dipped by 13.08% due to the exit of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from the bloc, two West African markets Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire still ranked among the global top 20 clocking in at 13th and 20th positions.

Commenting on this, Ayeni emphasized that these patterns “show that all stakeholders are taking advantage of the potentials and opportunities inherent in the sector,” while adding that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) remains central to Nigeria’s long term export strategy.

Top Exported Products: Cocoa Dominates

Nigeria exported 281 different non-oil products in 2025 and the top performers by value were: Cocoa Beans – US$1.99 billion; Urea – US$1.29 billion; Cashew Nuts – US$456.9 million; Sesame Seeds – US$300.3 million; Gold Dore – US$228.8 million; Cocoa Butter – US$209 million; Aluminium Ingots – US$182.7 million; Cigarettes – US$98.2 million; Copper Ingots – US$96.8 million and Rubber – US$83.6 million.

In a nod to the benefits of industrialisation and product beneficiation, Cocoa and its derivatives accounted for a remarkable share of total receipts, reflecting Nigeria’s gradual shift toward value added processing. Ayeni noted that Nigerian exporters, especially SMEs, are increasingly processing products rather than exporting raw commodities, enabling premium pricing and stronger global competitiveness.

Fertilizer giants led the pack with their dominance driven by strong fertilizer and cocoa related exports. The top three exporting companies in 2025 were: Indorama Eleme Fertilizer & Chemical Ltd – 13.13%; Dangote Fertilizer Ltd – 8.41%; and Starlink Global & Ideal Ltd – 8.06%.

New Initiatives Driving Growth

The second half of NEPC’s report highlights the structural reforms and targeted interventions that underpinned the sector’s record‑breaking performance. Ayeni attributed the gains to a blend of government policy, private‑sector resilience, and NEPC‑led programmes, noting that “our various initiatives and programmes… equipping exporters with the tools and skills required to play competitively in the global market are indeed major factors for this performance.”

Key initiatives included the “Double Your Export” agenda, expanded collaboration with MDAs and development partners, intensified capacity‑building from farm gate to global market entry, and deliberate efforts to formalise informal exports through partnerships with NBS and CBN. Market expansion missions across Europe, Asia, and Africa also opened new commercial pathways for Nigerian products.

Other factors that were identified as contributing to the surge in export receipts and volumes were structural and policy‑driven factors like an alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda with its focus on diversification, unqualified support from the Honourable Minister of Trade, Industry and Investments, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, improved inter‑agency coordination, increased private‑sector investment in processing, higher global demand for fertilizer, cocoa, and cashew, expanded export financing and documentation support and strengthened compliance through Pre‑Shipment Inspection Agencies.

Ayeni praised exporters directly, saying: “I recognize the doggedness and determination of our exporters who despite the different headwinds and challenges were able to contribute significantly to the growth of non-oil export in Nigeria.”

Banks, Exit Points, and Logistics Efficiency

Financial institutions remained central to export documentation and compliance. In 2025, 30 banks processed 19,975 NXP forms, with Zenith Bank leading at 32.31%, followed by GTBank (12.37%) and First Bank (11.52%).

On logistics, seaports continued to dominate, handling 94% of all non‑oil exports across 20 exit points nationwide.

Capacity Building, Standards, and Value Addition

NEPC scaled up its exporter‑development agenda, delivering 728 capacity‑building programmes to 96,221 participants, a significant rise from 2024. Training covered good agricultural practices, documentation, digital trade, product development, and market access.

Standardisation also took centre stage. In 2025, 210 SMEs secured international certifications – FDA, ISO22000, Halal, HACCP – bringing the total to nearly 700, with 567 more in the pipeline.

Value‑addition initiatives included Nigeria’s first Export Production Cluster in Kebbi State, where 250 farmers cultivated 500 hectares of sesame under a coordinated export‑ready model. Additional programmes such as the Export Skill Acquisition Centre (ESAC), distribution of 4,600 hybrid seedlings, and onboarding of 70 SMEs onto Jumia further strengthened competitiveness.

NEPC also reported major progress in reducing export rejects through the STDF 845 project, which improved pest‑management practices and compliance across key value chains.

Digital Engagement and Global Market Access

Through NEPC Connect, the Council hosted seven webinars with over 30,000 participants, expanding virtual access to export knowledge. International partnerships flourished, including the ITC UK Trade Mission and collaborations with CBI Netherlands, which facilitated deals at the In‑Cosmetics Trade Fair and connected Dutch off‑takers with 85 Nigerian SMEs.

Nigeria also made a strong showing on the global stage. At the Intra‑African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algiers, the Nigerian Pavilion won Best Pavilion for Transacting Business, with SMEs securing prospective orders worth US$110 million. Nigeria also secured hosting rights for IATF 2027 and was honoured at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.

2026 Outlook: Expansion and Consolidation

Ayeni projected a strong 2026, with priorities including deeper capacity building, reduced export rejects, expanded clusters, mainstreaming informal trade, broader SME participation, enhanced value addition, stronger solid‑minerals governance, diversified markets, improved data integrity, and implementation of the Nigeria–UAE CEPA, which eliminates tariffs on 7,315 Nigerian products entering the UAE.

In her words, “2026 promises to be a great year for non-oil export. At NEPC, we remain resolute and committed to driving up the volume and value of non-oil exports and expanding market access for sustainable and inclusive growth.”

•Toni Kan is a PR expert and financial analyst.

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