By Omoniyi David
Nigeria’s non-oil exports grew to $3.225 billion in the first half of 2025, up 19.59% from $2.696 billion in the same period of 2024, according to the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
Executive Director/CEO Nonye Ayeni, presenting the council’s half-year progress report in Abuja, said export volumes also rose to 4.04 million metric tonnes from 3.83 million metric tonnes last year.
She credited the growth to coordinated efforts by the NEPC, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and other stakeholders to expand and diversify the sector.
“In April 2025, first-quarter non-oil exports were valued at $1.791 billion; a 24.75% increase from $1.436 billion in Q1 2024 with volumes up 24.3% to 2.416 million metric tonnes,” Ayeni noted.
A total of 236 products were exported in H1 2025, up 16.83% from 202 items last year.
The range covered agricultural produce, extractive products, semi-processed goods, and manufactured items, reflecting a gradual shift from traditional agricultural exports toward higher value-added products.
Cocoa, sesame, cashew, and aluminum were among the top-performing commodities, supported by stronger demand from emerging markets such as India, Brazil, Vietnam, and African countries under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Ayeni said the NEPC’s export intervention programmes, covering quality standards, packaging, labelling, documentation, and certification had also improved global competitiveness, with more Nigerian exporters adopting value addition to boost earnings.
