- Stronger exporter capacity through certification, compliance support, and market access initiatives.
- Improved documentation, reduced export rejections, and recovering logistics efficiency.
Nigeria non-oil exports growth reached a historic milestone in 2025, signaling steady economic diversification and expanding global relevance. According to official data, Nigeria’s non-oil export value climbed to 6.1 billion dollars in 2025. This performance reflects stronger volumes, wider markets, and improved export systems. Importantly, Nigeria non-oil exports growth now stands as a core pillar of national economic strategy.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council announced the figures during a press briefing in Abuja. The event focused on the 2025 non-oil export performance and the 2026 outlook. The Executive Director of the Council, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, confirmed the achievement. She explained that the Council worked closely with the National Bureau of Statistics and the Central Bank. Together, they also partnered with other stakeholders to formalize informal trade activities.
Notably, the 2025 figure represents an 11.5 per cent increase over 2024. In that year, exports stood at 5.46 billion dollars. Therefore, the new result marks the highest formal non-oil export value since the Council’s establishment. However, Ayeni clarified that informal cross-border exports still remain significant.
In volume terms, non-oil exports reached 8.02 million metric tonnes. This outcome reflects a 10 per cent rise compared with the previous year. Consequently, the sector recorded growth in both value and quantity. This trend indicates stronger performance across several value chains and destinations.
During 2025, Nigeria exported 281 non-oil products. These products included agricultural commodities, industrial inputs, solid minerals, and processed goods. As a result, the country made gradual progress in value addition and product diversity.
Nigeria’s exports reached 120 countries worldwide. The Netherlands led with 17.53 per cent of total export value. Brazil followed with 10.35 per cent, while India accounted for 7.63 per cent. Exports to the Netherlands grew by over 32 per cent, driven by cocoa and sesame products. Similarly, exports to Brazil rose by more than 19 per cent.
This progress aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The agenda continues to support job creation, poverty reduction, and global trade integration. In addition, policies from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment strengthened export outcomes.
Key contributors to the record performance included cocoa beans, urea, cashew, sesame seed, gold , aluminum ingots, rubber, and copper ingots.
Despite challenges, Nigerian exporters demonstrated resilience. Meanwhile, collaboration across public and private sectors supported the “Double Your Export” initiative. Although ECOWAS trade declined slightly, the African Continental Free Trade Area remains vital. Overall, sustained reforms continue to position non-oil exports as a strategic growth engine for Nigeria.