Nigeria records $752.85m in export – Customs

The value of cargo exported by Nigerian exporters in the third quarter of 2026 rose to US$752.85 million, representing a 22.14 per cent increase over the US$586.15 million recorded in the same period in 2025.

Manufactured goods led the list with its value rose from approximately US$169.90 million in the third quarter of 2025 to US$402.52 million in the same period of 2026.

The Acting Controller of Lilypond Export Command, Nigeria Customs Service, Deputy Comptroller Olusola Oluyemi Salako, disclosed this development at his maiden press briefing on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, where he presented the command’s export performance for the third quarter of 2026.

Salako informed that the command also recorded an increase of 5,358 export containers during the period, reaffirming the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to facilitating legitimate trade, promoting economic growth and advancing national development.

He said the command remained focused on supporting the growth of Nigeria’s non-oil export sector, which he described as one of the cardinal priorities of the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

A month-by-month analysis showed that export values increased in July, August and September 2026 compared with the corresponding months of 2025.

In July, export value rose from US$202,604,239.79 in 2025 to US$217,526,633.40 in 2026, representing a growth of 6.86 per cent.

August recorded the most significant monthly increase, with export value rising from US$176,628,708.64 in 2025 to US$297,919,731.22 in 2026, representing a 40.71 per cent increase.

In September, export value increased from US$206,919,134.78 to US$237,406,087.85, representing growth of 12.84 per cent.

An assessment of the major export categories showed a substantial increase in manufactured goods, even as agricultural produce and solid minerals recorded declines.

Manufactured goods exports rose from US$169,902,962.23 in the third quarter of 2025 to US$402,520,798.82 in the third quarter of 2026.

This represented an increase of approximately 136.9 per cent, highlighting the growing contribution of manufactured and value-added products to Nigeria’s non-oil export earnings.

Salako said the performance reflected the increasing potential of value addition and economic diversification in the country’s non-oil export sector.

He explained that although agricultural produce remained an important component of the Command’s export portfolio, the government’s emphasis on processing raw agricultural commodities before export was encouraging exporters to move towards value-added production.

According to him, the Command had continued to sensitise and enlighten exporters on the need to move beyond the export of raw commodities towards processing and manufactured products.

He said exporters had increasingly embraced the direction, resulting in more agricultural produce being processed into manufactured and value-added products for export. He added that the development was contributing to the growth recorded in manufactured goods and supporting greater foreign exchange repatriation into the Nigerian economy.

Despite the growth in manufactured goods, agricultural exports declined from US$346,107,856.62 in the third quarter of 2025 to US$310,981,524.84 in the corresponding period of 2026.

The decline represented approximately 10.2 per cent, although agricultural produce remained a significant contributor to the Command’s overall export portfolio.

The Command also recorded a steep decline in solid minerals exports, which fell from US$62,271,029.13 in the third quarter of 2025 to US$6,487,036.55 in the third quarter of 2026.

The briefing did not attribute the decline to a specific cause. However, Salako said the Command would continue to engage relevant stakeholders in the sector to better understand operational challenges and support legitimate export activities.

In contrast, the category classified as other exports recorded a substantial increase, rising from US$7,870,235.23 in the third quarter of 2025 to US$32,863,092.26 in the corresponding period of 2026.

The increase reflected improved performance in that category during the period under review.

The Command also recorded an increase in export container throughput, with the number of containers rising from 10,987 in the third quarter of 2025 to 16,345 in the third quarter of 2026.

The increase of 5,358 containers represented a rise of approximately 48.8 per cent and reflected the higher level of operational activity supporting export trade through the Command.

On export-related collections, the briefing reported an increase of N90,019,080.56 in the 2.5 per cent re-export surcharge and an increase of N517,922,575.35 in Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) charges during the period under review.

Salako said the increase in export collection underscored the importance of efficient processing, accurate documentation and compliance with established Customs procedures in supporting legitimate trade.

He commended compliant exporters, licensed Customs agents, export processing terminals and relevant government agencies for their cooperation and commitment to the export process.

He said the Command would continue to support legitimate trade through effective trade facilitation, timely dissemination of relevant information and consistent application of existing rules and regulations, while sustaining enforcement of applicable Customs laws and government policies.

The Acting Controller also disclosed that since assuming office on August 24, 2026, he had engaged extensively with stakeholders across the export value chain to address operational concerns, strengthen collaboration and promote seamless export processes.

He said the engagements had provided opportunities to sensitise stakeholders on preferential trade agreements, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), export prohibition lists, regulatory requirements and other government policies affecting their respective areas of trade.

According to him, the Command would sustain the engagements as an important platform for improving compliance, addressing operational challenges and enhancing trade facilitation.

Salako said the command would intensify efforts to sustain export growth through efficient, faster and seamless cargo processing, extensive advocacy, stakeholder collaboration and effective utilisation of the Unified Customs Management System, also known as B’Odogwu.

He said the platform supported Customs operations and trade facilitation, adding that the Command would continue to leverage World Customs Organization trade facilitation tools, including the Time Release Study, where applicable, to identify bottlenecks and improve operational efficiency.