The executive director and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni, yesterday disclosed that Nigeria’s non-oil exports surged to $1.791 billion in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 24.75 per cent year-on-year increase.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Ayeni said the volume of non-oil exports also jumped significantly, reaching 2.416 million metric tonnes — a 243.44 per cent rise from the 1.937 million metric tonnes recorded in Q1 2024.
“Our collective efforts are paying off. This result demonstrates that Nigeria’s non-oil sector is gaining strength and delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” she said.
According to Ayeni, cocoa and its derivatives — including cocoa butter, liquor, and cake — dominated Nigeria’s non-oil exports, accounting for 45.02 percent of total shipments. She added that urea/fertiliser followed with 19.32 per cent, while cashew nuts made up 5.81 per cent.
Ayeni stated that in total, 197 distinct products were exported during the quarter, up from 162 products a year earlier. These, she noted, included manufactured goods, semi-processed products, agricultural commodities, and industrial extracts.
She reported that Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemical Limited and Starlink Global & Ideal Limited emerged as the top exporting companies, maintaining their lead positions thanks to their strong export volumes of fertilisers and cocoa products, respectively.
Ayeni highlighted that Nigeria’s exports to 10 ECOWAS countries grew sharply, reaching $63.06 million — a 223.1 per cent increase compared to the $19.517 million recorded in Q1 2024. Exports to other African nations, she added, contributed another $32.73 million, reinforcing Nigeria’s strategy to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for broader market access.
“With the AfCFTA, Africa is on the cusp of becoming the world’s largest free trade area, and Nigeria is positioning itself to be the hub,” Ayeni said.
She disclosed that 485 non-oil export declarations (NXPs) were processed across 28 banks during the quarter.
According to her, Zenith Bank Plc led with 30.71 per cent of the transactions, followed by First Bank of Nigeria Plc with 14.22 per cent and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc with 8.89 per cent.
Ayeni said that about 95 per cent of exports were routed through seaports, with Lagos ports serving as major gateways. Products, she added, were shipped across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, with the Netherlands, Belgium, and Brazil emerging as the top destinations.
As part of its “Go Global, Go Certification” campaign, Ayeni disclosed that NEPC fully sponsored 105 exporters to obtain international certifications, such as FDA and HACCP, and is currently supporting another 100 exporters through the process.
She revealed that seedlings distribution was also ramped up, with over 4,600 hybrid seedlings — including oil palm, cocoa, and groundnut — distributed to farmers across Kogi, Akure, Gusau, Bayelsa, and Plateau states to strengthen export-oriented agriculture.
Highlighting a major milestone, Ayeni announced that NEPC was selected as one of only four global Business Support Organisations — and the sole African beneficiary — to pilot the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund, a $50-million initiative launched by WTO director-general Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Ayeni said the Council also leveraged partnerships with international organisations such as the International Trade Centre (ITC), CBI Netherlands, and SheTrades Commonwealth to open new markets for Nigerian exporters.
She disclosed that to tackle export rejections, NEPC validated a baseline study on sesame and cowpea value chains with the International Trade Centre and set up an inter-agency working group to implement corrective measures.
In addition, Ayeni said the Council launched a sensitisation programme to formalise informal cross-border trade at Nigeria’s borders, aiming to capture more accurate trade data and support small exporters.
