Nigeria’s non-oil export drive gains momentum as Lilypond hits $925.8m, 38.7% growth

By Ezurike Ugochukwu 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lilypond Export Command, has recorded export transactions valued at $925.84 million in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 38.68 per cent increase compared to the $667.59 million recorded during the same period in 2025.

Controller of Customs, Lilypond Export Command, Comptroller S.O. Ariyibi, disclosed this during a press briefing in Lagos, where he highlighted the command’s performance and progress in export facilitation.

Ariyibi said the growth reflects the increasing importance of non-oil exports to Nigeria’s economy, stressing that export remains critical to foreign exchange earnings, economic diversification, job creation, and GDP growth.

“Export remains critical to Nigeria’s economy. It promotes foreign exchange earnings, drives economic diversification, and contributes significantly to Gross Domestic Product growth,” he said.

He noted that although crude oil still dominates export earnings, non-oil exports such as agricultural produce, solid minerals, and manufactured goods remain essential for cushioning the economy against external shocks and stabilising the naira.

According to him, the command has continued to implement trade facilitation measures in line with the policy direction of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

“The Lilypond Export Command has continued to implement measures aimed at enhancing export trade facilitation within our area of responsibility,” Ariyibi stated.

He added that the command is actively advancing preparations for the deployment of the National Single Window platform, with officers being equipped for seamless implementation of a unified export documentation system.

A breakdown of the quarterly performance showed mixed monthly trends, with exports declining slightly by 1.12 per cent in January to $267.66 million, rising by 12.43 per cent in February to $253.12 million, and recording a sharp 135.83 per cent increase in March to $425.48 million.

Container throughput also rose significantly, with the command processing 19,014 export containers in Q1 2026, compared to 9,722 containers in the corresponding period of 2025, representing a 95.58 per cent increase.

Sectoral analysis showed agricultural exports rose from $523.26 million in Q1 2025 to $608.46 million in Q1 2026.

Manufactured goods posted stronger growth, increasing from $93.48 million to $297.36 million, underscoring the sector’s growing role in economic diversification.

However, exports of solid and extractive minerals declined sharply from $42.17 million to $5.23 million, which Ariyibi attributed to government policy encouraging local processing and value addition.

The command also recorded growth in revenue collections, with export surcharge collections increasing by 21.81 per cent from ₦163.66 million in Q1 2025 to ₦199.36 million in Q1 2026.

Similarly, collections under the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) rose by 20.15 per cent, climbing from ₦5.01 billion to ₦6.03 billion within the review period.

Ariyibi urged exporters operating within the command to remain compliant with existing regulations and avoid infractions.

“The Command remains committed to continuous stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and provision of necessary support to facilitate legitimate export trade,” he said.

He reaffirmed the command’s dedication to supporting legitimate export activities as part of broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s economy through a favourable balance of trade.