Nigeria’s non-oil exports to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) fell sharply by 13.08 per cent in 2025 following the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the regional bloc, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has reported.
The NEPC’s Executive Director and CEO, Nonye Ayeni, attributed the decline to the disruption of established trade routes and markets within the sub-region, caused by the exit of the three Sahel countries. She revealed the figures during the council’s annual progress report and 2026 non-oil export outlook briefing in Abuja.
According to the NEPC, Nigeria exported $271.26 million of non-oil products to 11 ECOWAS member states in 2025, down from $312.08 million in 2024. The total volume of exports was 1.23 million metric tonnes, representing 4.46 per cent of Nigeria’s total non-oil export earnings.
“This decline is largely due to the exit of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS, which disrupted trade flows and overland transit corridors for Nigerian goods,” Ayeni explained.
Sahel states’ exit shakes regional trade
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formally left ECOWAS in January 2024, citing excessive sanctions, political interference, and the bloc’s failure to assist in addressing security challenges. All three countries, now under military-led administrations following coups between 2020 and 2023, had previously been suspended and sanctioned by ECOWAS for delaying a return to civilian rule.
Their withdrawal has disrupted key trade corridors and market access for Nigerian goods, including agricultural produce, manufactured items, and re-exported commodities, contributing significantly to the slump in regional exports.
Nigeria expands exports beyond ECOWAS
Despite the decline in ECOWAS trade, Nigeria strengthened its non-oil export presence across the continent. In 2025, 25 African countries outside ECOWAS imported Nigerian non-oil products, totalling 967,397.94 metric tonnes and valued at $206.94 million, or 3.40 per cent of total non-oil exports.
Overall, Nigeria’s non-oil exports reached 36 African countries last year, highlighting the continent’s growing importance for Nigerian agricultural commodities, processed goods, and solid minerals.
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire emerged as top African markets for Nigeria’s non-oil products, ranking 13th and 20th, respectively, among the top 20 global destinations in 2025.
AfCFTA to boost intra-African trade
Ayeni emphasised the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to accelerate intra-African trade. She said the NEPC, working with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, is focused on positioning Nigeria as a leading export hub under the AfCFTA framework, strengthening the country’s role as Africa’s largest economy.
“These numbers show non-oil exports are rising, and stakeholders are taking advantage of the opportunities,” she said. “AfCFTA remains central to boosting trade across the continent.”
Record growth in non-oil exports
The overall performance of Nigeria’s non-oil exports was robust in 2025, reaching an all-time high of $6.1 billion, the strongest showing since the NEPC was established nearly 50 years ago.
The figure represents an 11.5 per cent increase over the $5.4 billion recorded in 2024, signalling strong momentum in Nigeria’s efforts to diversify its economy away from oil dependence.
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