Cocoa, cashew dominate Nigeria’s agricultural exports in 2025

2026-03-28 11:36:00

Nigeria’s push toward export diversification showed measurable progress in 2025, as non-oil exports stood at N12.36 trillion, up from N9.09 trillion in 2024.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that agricultural products contributed 41.04% of total non-oil exports, highlighting the strong role of agriculture in Nigeria’s export performance, with exports driven primarily by cocoa, which accounted for 24.61% of total non-oil exports.

According to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nigeria’s non-oil export volume also rose to 8.02 million metric tonnes in 2025, up from 7.29 million metric tonnes in 2024, representing a 10% increase.

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This indicates that the growth in exports was driven not only by higher prices, but also by larger quantities shipped to international markets.

Despite progress, Nigeria’s agricultural export basket remains heavily concentrated in a few commodities, particularly cocoa, leaving earnings exposed to global price cycles.

Although NBS now classifies the data as “major traded agricultural products,” from Q2 2025, the compositions are still largely export driven such as cocoa, sesame, and cashew, meaning the data continues to serve as a strong proxy for Nigeria’s agricultural exports.

Below are Nigeria’s top traded agricultural products in 2025, largely driven by exports.

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10. Soya beans (excluding seeds)

1. Soya beans (excluding seeds)
1. Other Frozen shrimps and prawns
1. Other cut flowers & flower buds
1. Flours and meals of soya beans
1. Cashew nuts Shelled
1. Natural cocoa butter
1. Sesamum seeds
1. **Cashew nuts in shell **
1. Standard quality Cocoa beans
1. Superior quality Cocoa beans

Raw soya bean exports fell sharply in 2025, highlighting challenges in both supply and global demand

Export value: N47.48 billion
Share of non-oil exports: 0.38%
Year-on-year growth: -62.08%

The sharp decline is likely driven by domestic production constraints and global competition in raw soybean markets.

Major export destinations for soya beans (excluding seeds) included India, Canada, the United States, Sri Lanka, and the Gabon Republic.

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10. Soya beans (excluding seeds)

1. Soya beans (excluding seeds)
1. Other Frozen shrimps and prawns
1. Other cut flowers & flower buds
1. Flours and meals of soya beans
1. Cashew nuts Shelled
1. Natural cocoa butter
1. Sesamum seeds
1. **Cashew nuts in shell **
1. Standard quality Cocoa beans
1. Superior quality Cocoa beans

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