Nigeria recorded a historic rise in non-oil exports, reaching N9.2 trillion in the first nine months of 2025, according to the latest Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics.
The figure represents a 48 percent increase from the N6.2 trillion posted over the same period in 2024 and marks the strongest performance since consistent trade reporting began in 2015.
The surge reflects the lingering impact of the 2023 naira devaluation, which has boosted export earnings in local currency terms and improved the price competitiveness of Nigerian goods in global markets. Total non-oil exports in the whole of 2023 stood at N3.1 trillion, meaning the 2025 nine month figure has already tripled that level.
The News Chronicle understands that the sharp repricing of exports rather than a dramatic jump in volumes accounts for much of the increase, as trade data is recorded in naira terms. In the third quarter of 2025 alone, non-oil exports hit nearly N3 trillion, with monthly receipts averaging close to N1 trillion between July and September.
Despite the record numbers, oil and gas continue to dominate Nigeria’s export earnings. Non-oil goods accounted for about 12 to 14 percent of total exports during the quarter, leaving foreign exchange inflows exposed to swings in global energy prices.
Data from the NBS shows growth concentrated in chemicals, processed food, heavy industrial goods and energy linked manufacturing, underlining progress but also exposing the narrow base of Nigeria’s export diversification drive.
