Nigeria’s exports to African countries climbed 14 per cent year-on-year to N4.82 trillion in the first half of 2025, up from N4.21 trillion in the same period of 2024, with West Africa absorbing over 62 per cent of continental shipments led by fuel products worth nearly N298 billion.
Nigeria Customs Service Comptroller General Bashir Adewale Adeniyi described the trend as a clear signal of strengthening regional trade momentum, positioning Nigeria as a hub for intra-African commerce and value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) nations purchased N2.995 trillion in goods—a 16 per cent rise—with key buyers including Togo (N946.7 billion), Côte d’Ivoire (N837 billion), Ghana (N429 billion), Senegal (N568 billion), and Benin (N70.2 billion).
Despite the growth, African exports comprised just 10 per cent of Nigeria’s total N43.3 trillion outbound trade in the period, trailing Europe (N17.3 trillion), Asia (N14.1 trillion), and the Americas (N6.9 trillion), per National Bureau of Statistics data reviewed by Ecofin Agency. Fuel dominated regional sales, underscoring Nigeria’s energy export reliance amid AfCFTA-driven diversification efforts.
To accelerate intra-continental flows, Nigeria rolled out tariff concessions and a May 2025 air freight corridor to East Africa, slashing shipment costs by 50-75 per cent, alongside the Sèmè-Kraké border SIGMAT system with Benin to curb fraud on the Abidjan-Lagos route.
These steps aim to elevate Africa’s share in Nigeria’s trade portfolio, fostering SME participation and non-oil growth in Africa’s largest economy.
