Nigeria’s non-oil exports rose by 21 per cent to $12.8 billion in the first half of 2025, data from the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment showed.
The figures were contained in the ministry’s 2025 activity review and outlook for 2026, which assessed Nigeria’s economic repositioning under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The ministry said the export growth reflected a broader expansion in trade, with total trade value increasing by 14 per cent during the period.
“The year 2025 marked a defining phase in Nigeria’s economic repositioning under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) delivering critical reforms and results that deepened industrial capacity, expanded exports, and restored investor confidence.
“Non-oil exports grew by 21 per cent, reaching $12.8bn in H1 2025, nearly double the $6.5bn target and contributing to a N12trn trade surplus during the same period,” the ministry stated.
The review showed that Nigeria’s top non-oil exports during the period included cocoa and cocoa derivatives, sesame seeds, cashew nuts, shea butter, ginger, hibiscus flowers, rubber, palm oil derivatives, fertilisers, cement and clinker, as well as liquefied natural gas.
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The ministry said export capacity was boosted through collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), under which 27,352 exporters were trained, 200 micro, small and medium enterprises were certified for international trade, and 3,047 farmers received hybrid seedlings.
It added that the Women Export Fund improved access to trade finance for women-led businesses, drawing more than 67,000 applications and providing grants to 146 enterprises.
“Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones generated over $500m in export revenues and created more than 20,000 direct jobs, reinforcing their role as engines of export-led growth, industrialisation, and employment generation through the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA),” the ministry said.
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The ministry said it made significant gains in investment attraction after adopting a systems-driven approach that improved project visibility, reduced information gaps and strengthened the bankability of investment pipelines.
It said the strategy delivered measurable results, with four priority projects valued at $13.7 billion advancing to late stages, representing a conversion rate of more than 25 per cent from $50.8 billion in signed Memoranda of Understanding.
The ministry described the outcome as a turnaround in investment attraction, noting that it responded strategically to global economic headwinds while signalling that Nigeria remains open for business.
It added that structured deal origination helped build a de-risked investment pipeline of more than $5 billion across priority sectors, supported by targeted roadshows, curated deal rooms and coordinated investor engagement.
Alex is a business journalist cum data enthusiast with the Pinnacle Daily. He can be reached via ealex@thepinnacleng.com, @ehime_alex on X
