By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Nigeria’s non-oil exports rose to an all-time high of $6.1 billion in 2025, representing an 11.5 per cent year-on-year increase compared to the $5.4 billion recorded in 2024.
This was disclosed by the Chief Executive Officer of the NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, on Monday, January 19, in Abuja during her annual progress report and 2026 non-oil export outlook briefing.
The 2025 figure marks the strongest performance in the sector since the establishment of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) nearly five decades ago, underscoring the growing momentum in the country’s diversification away from crude oil dependence.
Ayeni said data obtained from pre-shipment inspection agencies showed that Nigeria had surpassed its previous best performance, and described the 2025 outcome as a historic milestone for formal, documented trade.
She said: “Based on the records obtained from pre-shipment inspection agencies, Nigerian non-oil export performance in 2025 reached an all-time high.
“The non-oil export sector rose to approximately 6.1 billion dollars, representing a year-on-year growth of about 11.5 per cent over and above the 5.4 billion dollars recorded in 2024.
“This marks the highest non-oil export value achieved in the country for formally documented trade in the country and also from the inception of the council almost 50 years ago. So we have indeed beaten our own records of last year. So Nigeria has 6.1 billion dollars in terms of value for non-oil export.”
The NEPC boss noted that the $6.1 billion export value reflects improved activity across several value chains, supported by expanding market access and increasing product diversification.
Ayeni further stated that beyond value, export volumes also increased significantly, with total non-oil exports hitting 8.02 million metric tonnes in 2025, a 10 per cent increase compared with 7.29 million metric tonnes in 2024.
She explained that the strong performance cut across agricultural commodities, processed and semi-processed goods, industrial inputs, and solid minerals, indicating gradual progress in value addition and broader product representation.
“In 2025 alone, Nigeria exported a total of 281 non-oil products. This reflects our steady transition towards value-added exports and deeper integration into global value chains,” Ayeni stated.
However, the NEPC boss cautioned that the impressive figures did not fully capture the country’s export potential, noting that a significant volume of trade still occurs informally across Nigeria’s land borders.
She said the council was working with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other stakeholders to mainstream informal trade into official export records, improve data accuracy, and strengthen policy support for exporters.
Ayeni added that ongoing reforms, export incentives, and capacity-building initiatives would be intensified in 2026 to sustain growth and expand Nigeria’s non-oil export footprint.
