The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has revealed that the export of value-added products in the non-oil sector is benefiting the country, as these products are earning premium prices in the global market.

Speaking in Abuja, the Executive Director of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, said, “We are beginning to see a shift where our exporters and SMEs are adding value to their products instead of exporting them raw, enabling them to earn premium prices in the global market.”

Nonye explained that in 2025, twenty (20) companies topped non-oil exports, with Indorama Eleme Fertilizer & Chemical Limited, Dangote Fertilizer Limited, and Starlink Global and Ideal Ltd securing the top positions with 13.13%, 8.41%, and 8.06%, respectively.

“This is attributed to their notable export volumes of fertilizer and cocoa products. As highlighted, this impressive performance was made possible through the determination of Nigerian exporters and the efforts of the NEPC, working in collaboration with development partners and other stakeholders, to build the capacity of exporters from farm gate to market access.”

She noted that other factors also contributed significantly to this growth, including a reduction in export rejects.

“The volume of rejects and contract cancellations has dropped significantly over the year. This is due to extensive sensitization, awareness creation, and training of our exporters and SMEs on the need to adhere to good agricultural and warehouse practices, ensuring compliance with international standards and quality requirements.”

The ED added, “NEPC and other stakeholders have played an active role in enhancing compliance with export documentation and improving monitoring under the Nigeria Export Proceeds (NXP) framework, leading to better capture and reporting of export transactions.

“Other contributing factors include:

She also noted that in the year under review, increased engagement with financial institutions yielded positive results, with 30 banks actively participating in non-oil export transactions and a total of 19,975 Nigeria Export Proceeds (NXP) forms processed.

“Zenith Bank Plc maintained its leading position, contributing 32.31% to the total number of NXPs for non-oil exports. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc secured the second position with 12.37%, while First Bank Nigeria Plc held the third position, contributing 11.52% to overall NXP transactions.

“It is evident that some banks performed strongly, while others experienced a decline in their NXP performance.

“From reports by the PIAs, twenty (20) exit points were used during the period under review to export non-oil products from Nigeria. Approximately 94% of total non-oil exports were routed through seaports. In total, eight (8) seaports, three (3) international airports, and nine (9) land borders served as exit points for Nigeria’s non-oil exports.

“Beyond these figures, the NEPC intensified its focus on exporter development through capacity-building programs, certification support, cluster development, skills acquisition, and targeted interventions across key value chains. These efforts were designed to strengthen competitiveness, enhance compliance, and broaden participation in the non-oil export ecosystem.”

Nonye further explained that non-oil export performance in 2025 reflects a year of consolidation and structural adjustment within Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.

“The evolving export composition, characterized by the growing contribution of semi-manufactured goods, processed agricultural products, and solid minerals, indicates gradual progress toward value addition and industrial export development,” she stated.

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