The Netherlands has emerged as Nigeria’s largest non-oil export destination by value, as the country’s non-oil exports climbed to an all-time high of about $6.1 billion in 2025, according to data released by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC.
The Netherlands imported 289,757.09 metric tonnes of Nigerian non-oil products valued at $1.067 billion, accounting for 17.53 per cent of total export value, despite representing just 3.61 per cent of export volume.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, NEPC Executive Director, Nonye Ayeni, said the 2025 performance marked the highest non-oil export value recorded since the council’s establishment.
She disclosed that the figure represents 11.5 per cent year-on-year increase over the $5.46 billion recorded in 2024, based on records from Pre-shipment Inspection Agencies, PIAs.
On export volume, Ayeni revealed that total non-oil exports rose to 8.02 million metric tonnes, reflecting a 10 per cent increase from the 7.29 million metric tonnes exported in 2024.
She said the combined growth in value and volume highlights expanding activity across multiple value chains, markets, and product categories, adding that a significant volume of informal trade remains outside official records.
“Based on records obtained from the Pre-shipment Inspection Agencies, Nigeria’s non-oil export performance in 2025 reached an all-time high. Non-oil export value rose to approximately US$6.1 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of about 11.5% over and above the US$5.46 billion recorded in 2024.
“This marks the highest non-oil export value achieved in the country for formal documented trade since the inception of the Council, beating our own record and underscoring the growing resilience and relevance of the non-oil export sector to Nigeria’s economy,” she said.
A breakdown of Nigeria’s top export destinations showed Brazil leading by quantity, importing 1.58 million metric tonnes, or 19.73 per cent of total export volume, though it ranked second by value at $630.29 million, 10.35 per cent.
India followed with nearly 10 per cent of export volume and 7.63 per cent of value, while Belgium and the United States completed the top five destinations.
Altogether, Nigeria exported 281 non-oil products in 2025, spanning agricultural commodities, processed and semi-processed goods, industrial inputs, and solid minerals.
According to Ayeni, these products reached 120 countries, with the Netherlands, Brazil and India emerging as the top three destinations by value.
Export value to the Netherlands rose by 32.46 per cent, driven largely by cocoa beans, cocoa butter and sesame seeds, while exports to Brazil increased by 19.07 per cent.
She noted that within Africa, Nigeria exported non-oil products to 11 ECOWAS countries, amounting to 1.23 million metric tonnes valued at $271.26 million, or 4.46 per cent of total export value.
The NEPC boss noted that the figure represents a 13.08 per cent decline from 2024, largely attributed to the exit of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the regional bloc.
She stated that Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire still made the global top 20 destinations, ranking 13th and 20th respectively.
Ayeni further disclosed that beyond ECOWAS, exports to 25 other African countries brought total African destinations to 36, with exports valued at $206.94 million.
Speaking on the leading export products, she disclosed that cocoa beans topped the export chart, generating nearly $2.0 billion and accounting for 32.76 per cent of total export value.
Urea followed with $1.29 billion, driven by large export volumes, while cashew nuts, sesame seeds, gold dore, cocoa butter, and aluminium ingots also featured prominently among the top earners.
She noted that together, the top 20 products accounted for the bulk of Nigeria’s non-oil export revenue.
Among exporting companies, Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemical Limited, Dangote Fertilizer Limited, and Starlink Global and Ideal Ltd led the pack, jointly contributing over 29 per cent of total export value, largely from fertilizer and cocoa-related exports.
Ayeni attributed the strong performance to the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, improved value addition, reduced export rejections, better compliance with export documentation under the Nigeria Export Proceeds, NXP, framework, and enhanced coordination among trade facilitation agencies.
She also cited sustained global demand, recovering logistics chains, and targeted export promotion initiatives as key drivers.
On the financial sector, she said 30 banks actively supported non-oil export transactions in 2025, processing 19,975 NXP forms, with Zenith Bank, GTBank and First Bank leading by volume.
According to her, about 94 per cent of exports were routed through seaports, with 20 exit points, comprising seaports, airports and land borders, used nationwide.
Looking ahead, the NEPC boss expressed optimism for 2026, with plans to deepen capacity building, curb export rejections, expand export clusters, mainstream informal trade, broaden SME participation, strengthen value addition, and diversify markets.
She also highlighted the Nigeria–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement as a major opportunity to unlock new markets.
