The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS Lilypond Export Command has recorded a 38.68 per cent increase in export value in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting improved trade facilitation and rising non-oil exports.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, the Controller of the Command, S. O. Ariyibi, disclosed that exports processed between January and March 2026 were valued at 925.84 million dollars, compared to 667.60 million dollars recorded during the same period in 2025.
Ariyibi attributed the growth to sustained stakeholder engagement and policy direction under the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, noting that export trade remains vital to Nigeria’s economic diversification and foreign exchange earnings.
A breakdown of the Command’s monthly performance showed mixed results, with January posting a slight decline, February recording moderate growth, and March witnessing a sharp increase of over 135 per cent.
The Command also reported significant improvement in container throughput, processing 19,014 export containers in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 95.58 per cent compared to 9,722 containers handled in the corresponding period of 2025.
Sectoral analysis indicated that agricultural exports rose to 608.46 million dollars from 523.26 million dollars, while manufactured goods surged to 297.36 million dollars from 93.48 million dollars, highlighting the sector’s growing role in economic diversification.
However, exports of solid and extractive minerals declined sharply to 5.23 million dollars from 42.17 million dollars, a development linked to increased focus on local processing and value addition.
On revenue generation, export surcharge collections rose by 21.81 per cent to 199.36 million naira, while proceeds under the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme climbed by over one billion naira to 6.03 billion naira within the review period.
Ariyibi urged exporters to comply with existing regulations and avoid infractions, assuring that the Command would continue to support legitimate trade through stakeholder engagement and capacity building.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Lilypond Export Command to strengthening Nigeria’s export base and improving the country’s balance of trade.
