By Muhammad Mamman
In a dazzling display of economic prowess, Nigeria exported a staggering 663 million metric tonnes of goods to 11 ECOWAS nations in the first half of 2025, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has revealed. This marks a significant surge compared to the same period in 2024, cementing Nigeria’s position as a powerhouse in regional trade.
Nonye Ayeni, NEPC’s Director-General, unveiled these impressive figures during a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, presenting the 2025 First-Half Non-Oil Export Performance Report. She highlighted that Nigeria also shipped 488 million metric tonnes of products, valued at $83.538 million, to 21 African countries outside ECOWAS. This reflects a 2.59% increase in total export value compared to 1.96% in 2024, underscoring the transformative potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“The AfCFTA is a game-changer for intra-African trade,” Ayeni declared. “Nigeria’s robust engagement in this initiative opens vast opportunities for exporters, particularly small and medium enterprises, to drive economic growth across the continent.”
Ayeni praised the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment for its unwavering commitment to positioning Nigeria as a hub for economic development. She spotlighted top exporters, with Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemical Ltd and Starlink Global and Ideal Ltd retaining their leading positions, contributing 11.92% and 8.82% of exports, respectively.
The report also showcased the critical role of financial institutions, with 29 banks processing 10,214 Nigeria Export Proceed Forms (NXPs) for non-oil exports. Zenith Bank Plc led the charge, handling 31.98% of NXPs, followed by First Bank Nigeria Plc (12.44%) and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (11.47%).
Exports flowed through 18 exit points, including eight seaports, three international airports, and seven land borders, with seaports facilitating 94.15% of non-oil shipments. To bolster this success, NEPC conducted 252 capacity-building programmes, training 27,352 participants nationwide on critical skills like documentation, export readiness, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Warehousing Practice (GWP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and packaging.
“Nigeria is not just trading goods; we’re exporting ambition and opportunity,” Ayeni concluded, as the nation sets its sights on dominating African trade.
