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Nigeria’s non-oil exports soared to $3.225bn in the first half of 2025, marking yet another milestone in the sector’s growth, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council announced on Sunday. This figure represents a 19.59 per cent increase over the $2.696bn recorded in the same period of 2024.

The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, disclosed this in Abuja while presenting the council’s First Half-Year Progress Report on the nation’s non-oil export performance.

She said the volume of goods shipped abroad also rose to 4.04 million metric tonnes from 3.83 million metric tonnes in the first half of last year, driven by strong global demand for Nigerian commodities from emerging markets such as India, Brazil, Vietnam, and other African countries.

Ayeni said the report was a comprehensive overview of the council’s achievements, challenges, and prospects, as Nigeria gradually moves towards the close of 2025.

She declared, “I am pleased to inform you that non-oil products exported in the first half of 2025 were valued at $3.225bn. This shows an increase of 19.59 per cent as against the sum of $2.696bn recorded for the first half of the year 2024.”

The NEPC boss added that the surge in export value was matched by a rise in shipment volume.  Ayeni recalled that in the first quarter of 2025 alone, Nigeria exported non-oil products worth $1.791bn, representing a 24.75 per cent rise over the $1.436bn posted in Q1 2024. Export volumes in the same quarter hit 2.416 million metric tonnes, up 24.3 per cent from the 1.937 million metric tonnes shipped in Q1 2024.

“The volume also increased to 4.04 million metric tonnes compared to the 3.83 million metric tonnes for the same period of 2024. Only recently, precisely in April 2025, you will recall that Nigeria’s Non-oil products exported in the first quarter of 2025 recorded a significant value of $1.791bn.

“This represents a 24.75 per cent increase over the $1.436bn reported in the First Quarter of 2024. The volume also increased to 2.416 million metric tonnes, representing a 24.3 per cent increase from the 1.937 million Metric tonnes recorded in the first quarter of 2024,” she said.

According to her, several factors contributed to the improved performance. These include higher global demand for Nigerian cocoa, sesame, cashew, and aluminium; wider market access and tariff relief under the African Continental Free Trade Area; and NEPC-led interventions such as capacity building on quality, standards, packaging, labelling, export documentation, and certification.

She said, “The significant increase in global demand for Nigerian products across the globe, including the African region. This increased the value of key Nigerian commodities/products, such as cocoa, sesame, cashew and aluminium.

The AfCFTA provided wider market access and tariff relief for Nigerian exporters.

“The council led export intervention programmes such as capacity building on quality and standards, packaging and labelling, export documentation and certifications. During the period under review, the Council also facilitated market access and market linkages programmes for our exporting companies, thereby giving their products more visibility in the global market.

“The growth in value-added exports improved earnings, as more exporters are now imbibing the culture of value addition to their products. The rising demand from emerging economies, such as India, Brazil, Vietnam, and Africa, increased Nigeria’s non-oil export volumes and diversity.”

In the first half of 2025, Nigeria exported 236 distinct products, a 16.83 per cent increase from the 202 products exported in the same period last year. Ayeni noted that cocoa beans were the top commodity, accounting for 34.88 per cent of total export value, up from 23.18 per cent in 2024. Urea/fertiliser ranked second with 17.65 per cent, while cashew nuts took third place with 12.35 per cent. Sesame seeds accounted for 4.23 per cent of exports.

She added, “In the first half of the year 2025, a total of 236 different products were exported in the period under review. This represents an increase of 16.83 per cent when compared to the 202 distinct products exported in the first half of 2024.

“The products exported range from agricultural commodities, extractive industries, and manufactured and semi-processed products. However, it is pertinent to state here that the non-oil export of Nigerian products is gradually diversifying from traditional agriculture exports to semi-processed/manufactured products.

“Based on data received from Pre-shipment Inspection Agents, of the top-20 products exported in the first half of 2025, Cocoa Bean was the most exported commodity with 34.88 per cent value in terms of total export compared to 23.18 per cent for the same period in 2024.”

Among top exporters, Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemical Limited led with 11.92 per cent of total export value, followed by Starlink Global & Ideal Limited with 8.82 per cent, and Dangote Fertilizer Limited with 6.39 per cent.

Nigeria exported 663 million metric tonnes of goods to 11 ECOWAS countries in the first half of the year, while exports to 21 other African countries outside ECOWAS totalled 488 million metric tonnes worth $83.54m.

The Netherlands, the United States, and India emerged as the top three destinations for Nigerian non-oil exports in H1 2025, with 18.64 per cent, 8.42 per cent, and 8.36 per cent of total export value, respectively.

Meanwhile, the commission says it has distributed 23,239 hybrid seedlings and other farm inputs to 3,047 farmers nationwide, covering cocoa, sesame, and oil palm. Ayeni said the gesture was aimed at improving quality and increasing production for export.

She added, “This intervention programme has significantly enhanced the quality of produce by our farmers as well as increased the production of these commodities for export into the global market.”

The NEPC boss expressed optimism that with sustained policy support, improved infrastructure, and access to financing, Nigeria could surpass its non-oil export record by the end of 2025.

“Our mission remains to ensure Nigerian products compete favourably anywhere in the world, while contributing to job creation, poverty reduction, and sustainable economic growth,” she concluded.