Nigeria’s non-oil exports post strongest year yet
Nigeria’s push to reduce its reliance on oil and gas is showing results, with non-oil exports hitting a record high in 2025, according to a report dated January 27th by the African Business via the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
Non-oil export earnings went up to $6.1 billion in 2025, up 11.5% from $5.46 billion in 2024, the NEPC said at a press briefing in Abuja. Export volumes also surged, rising 10% to 8.02 million metric tonnes, the highest level formally recorded for the sector.
NEPC Executive Director and Chief Executive Nonye Ayeni described 2025 as a strong year for expansion, saying the figures show the growing role of non-oil exports in Nigeria’s economy. The NEPC owed the strong performance to policy reforms, export support programmes and closer coordination across government. Notably, the World Bank recently highlighted rising debt risks in Nigeria.
Nigeria exported non-oil products to 120 countries last year, with the Netherlands as the largest buyer, accounting for 17.53% of total export value, driven by demand for cocoa beans, cocoa butter and sesame seeds.
Other countries included Brazil, India, Belgium, the United States, Vietnam, Germany, China, Switzerland and Japan. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire remain among Nigeria’s top export destinations globally. Within Africa, Nigeria exports to 36 countries and exports to 11 ECOWAS markets generated $478.2 million in 2025.
A total of 281 different non-oil products were exported in 2025. Cocoa and cocoa-based products led the list, with cocoa beans alone earning $1.99 billion. Urea followed at $1.29 billion, while cashew nuts, sesame seeds and gold ore also made strong contributions. Other exports included cocoa butter, aluminium and copper ingots, rubber and cigarettes.
Large fertiliser producers dominated company-level exports. Indorama Eleme Fertilizer & Chemical accounted for the largest share of 13.13%, followed by Dangote Fertilizer (8.41%) and Starlink Global & Ideal (8.06%).
Ayeni highlighted that more small and medium-sized companies are now exporting processed goods rather than raw materials, helping them earn higher prices and compete better in global markets. Interestingly, Nigeria has reduced solar panel imports as local production has increased.
Banks and ports continued to play a key role. Thirty banks processed nearly 20,000 export forms, while seaports handled about 94% of all non-oil exports, highlighting Nigeria’s heavy reliance on maritime routes.
Looking ahead, the NEPC said non-oil exports are expected to grow further in 2026, supported by new production, wider SME participation and trade deals such as the Nigeria–UAE agreement, which removes tariffs on several Nigerian products.
African Business, Maghrebi.org
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