Nigeria’s Export Push: Lilypond records $753m in Q3 as manufactured goods lead growth

By Maureen Aguta

The Lilypond Export Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recorded exports valued at $752.85 million in the third quarter of 2026, representing a 28.44 per cent increase from the $586.15 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, as manufactured goods emerged as the leading driver of growth.

The performance was driven largely by a surge in manufactured goods exports, which rose from $169.90 million in the third quarter of 2025 to $402.52 million in the same period of 2026, reflecting a 136.9 per cent increase.

The Acting Controller of the command, Deputy Comptroller Olusola Oluyemi Salako, disclosed this on Wednesday during his maiden press briefing on the command’s export performance since assuming office on August 24, 2026.

He said the command’s total export value increased by $166.70 million year-on-year, underscoring the growing contribution of non-oil exports to Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings.

Salako attributed the strong performance partly to the Federal Government’s emphasis on value addition, explaining that the command had intensified efforts to sensitise exporters to the need to process raw agricultural commodities into finished and semi-finished products before export.

According to him, the shift towards value-added production is helping to expand manufactured exports and improve the potential for foreign exchange repatriation into the Nigerian economy.

A breakdown of the monthly figures showed that exports increased across all three months of the quarter.

In July, export value rose from $202.60 million in 2025 to $217.53 million in 2026, representing a 7.37 per cent increase.

August recorded the strongest performance, with exports climbing from $176.63 million to $297.92 million, an increase of 68.67 per cent.

In September, export value rose from $206.92 million to $237.41 million, representing a 14.73 per cent increase.

Despite the overall growth, agricultural exports declined during the period, falling from $346.11 million in the third quarter of 2025 to $310.98 million in the corresponding period of 2026.

Salako said the decline should be considered alongside the government’s growing emphasis on processing agricultural produce before export, noting that some commodities previously exported in their raw form were increasingly being processed into manufactured and value-added products.

He maintained that agricultural produce remained an important component of the command’s export portfolio, adding that the command would continue to encourage exporters to embrace processing and other value-addition opportunities.

The solid minerals sector, however, recorded a sharp decline, with export value dropping from $62.27 million in the third quarter of 2025 to $6.49 million in the corresponding period of 2026.

The acting controller said the command would engage relevant stakeholders to identify the operational challenges responsible for the decline and support legitimate export activities.

Exports under other categories increased from $7.87 million to $32.86 million during the period.

Beyond export value, the command recorded a significant increase in container throughput, with the number of export containers rising from 10,987 in the third quarter of 2025 to 16,345 in the same period of 2026.

The increase of 5,358 containers represented a 48.77 per cent rise in throughput, reflecting an expansion in export-related activities handled by the command.

On revenue collection, Salako reported an increase of N90.02 million in the 2.5 per cent re-export surcharge and N517.92 million in Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) charges during the period under review.

He said efficient processing, accurate documentation and compliance with established Customs procedures remained critical to improving collections while facilitating legitimate trade.

The acting controller commended compliant exporters, licensed Customs agents, export processing terminals and relevant government agencies for their cooperation, pledging that the command would sustain efforts to improve operational efficiency and enforce applicable Customs laws and regulations.

Salako also disclosed that he had engaged stakeholders across the export value chain since assuming office, with discussions focusing on operational challenges, regulatory requirements, export prohibition lists and preferential trade agreements, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He said the command would sustain stakeholder engagement to improve compliance, address bottlenecks and promote smoother export processes.

Looking ahead, Salako said the command would intensify efforts to improve cargo processing through the Unified Customs Management System, also known as B’Odogwu, while leveraging World Customs Organisation trade facilitation instruments, including the Time Release Study, where applicable.

He said the measures were intended to identify delays, improve operational efficiency and strengthen the competitiveness of Nigerian exports.

The NCS, under the leadership of Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has continued to emphasise trade facilitation and non-oil export promotion as part of efforts to diversify the economy.

Salako reaffirmed the command’s commitment to facilitating legitimate trade, strengthening compliance, improving revenue collection and supporting the growth of Nigeria’s non-oil export sector.