…Cocoa leads non-oil exports, accounts for 41% of total value
Nigeria’s non-oil export sector recorded strong growth in the first half of 2025, with total exports valued at US$3.225 billion, marking a 19.59% increase compared to the US$2.696 billion posted in the same period of 2024.
Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), disclosed this in Abuja while presenting the First Half-Year Progress Report on Non-Oil Export Performance for 2025.
She noted that export volumes also rose to 4.04 million metric tonnes, up from 3.83 million metric tonnes recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
“It is on this note that I am pleased to inform you that non-oil products exported in the first half of 2025 were valued at US$3.225 billion. This shows an increase of 19.59% as against the sum of US$2.696 billion recorded for the first half of the year 2024.
“The volume also increased to 4.04 million Metric tonnes compared to the 3,83 million Metric tonnes for the same period of 2024,” Ayeni said
Ayeni attributed the growth to a surge in global demand for Nigerian products, increased market access through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and targeted NEPC-led export interventions such as capacity building, packaging and labelling improvements, export documentation support, and market linkage programmes.
She explained that more exporters are now adding value to their products, boosting earnings and expanding into emerging markets like India, Brazil, Vietnam, and other African countries.
A total of 236 distinct products were exported during the period, a 16.83% increase from the 202 products recorded in the first half of 2024, ranging from agricultural commodities to manufactured and semi-processed goods.
Cocoa and its derivatives dominated non-oil exports, accounting for 41.11% of the total export value, according to data from Pre-shipment Inspection Agents (PIAs) released by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
Ayeni explained that the surge was driven by rising global demand, higher international prices, and increased local processing capacity. She noted that processed cocoa products, including cocoa butter, liquor, and cake, are now a significant part of Nigeria’s exports, reflecting the country’s progress in value addition.
In the product rankings, cocoa beans retained their position as the most exported commodity, contributing 34.88% of total export value in H1 2025, up from 23.18% in the same period of 2024.
Urea/Fertiliser followed with 17.65%, compared to 13.78% a year earlier, while cashew nuts came third at 12.35%, up from 8.62%. Sesame seed ranked fourth, accounting for 4.23% of total exports.
On regional performance, Nigeria exported 663 million metric tonnes of goods to 11 ECOWAS countries, while shipments to 21 African countries outside ECOWAS totalled 488 million metric tonnes valued at US$83.54 million.
The Netherlands (18.64%), the United States (8.42%), and India (8.36%) emerged as the top three destinations for Nigeria’s non-oil exports in H1 2025.
Ayeni stressed that the results align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the policy direction of Jumoke Oduwole, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, adding that Nigeria is steadily diversifying away from traditional agriculture exports to higher-value manufactured goods.
