The Institute of Export Operations and Management (IEOM) has said that Nigeria’s ambition to grow its non-oil export sector will depend not only on increased production, but on the effective performance and collaboration of operators across the export value chain.
This was as Nigeria’s non-oil export sector was valued at about $6.1 billion in 2025, an 11.5% increase from $5.46 billion in 2024 and the highest officially recorded non-oil export value in the country’s history, according to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
The figure refers to exports outside crude oil and petroleum products, but includes agricultural commodities, processed goods, fertilisers, solid minerals and other manufactured products.
Mercy Odibe of the Institute of Export Operations and Management said exporters, regulatory agencies, inspection and quarantine authorities, treatment providers, freight forwarders, transporters, terminal operators, shipping lines and other logistics service providers all have critical roles to play in ensuring that Nigerian goods meet required standards and reach international buyers in acceptable condition.
She was speaking on Tuesday in Port Harcourt at the ‘Export Breakfast Meeting’ organised by the Institute of Export Operations and Management for value chain operators to identify practical solutions to challenges, prospects and gaps in the sector.
Odibe said the export process is interconnected, adding that a weakness at any stage can create consequences for exporters, service providers, buyers and the country’s broader export reputation.
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She stressed that exporting involves more than producing a good product, identifying a buyer or generating revenue.
Odibe noted that between production and successful delivery to an international market, exporters must navigate regulatory requirements, prepare documents, meet standards, undergo inspections, obtain certifications and coordinate travel and logistics arrangements.
“Each of these processes involves different institutions, professionals and service providers, all of whom have a role to play in ensuring that our export transaction is successful,” she said.
Odibe said many Nigerian exporters, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, face difficulties not because they lack good products or international buyers, but because they do not know what is required, which institution to approach or how to obtain accurate information on charges, timelines and responsibilities.
“Sometimes the challenge is not necessarily the access of a good product or an international buyer. It is understanding what is required, knowing which institution to approach, obtaining accurate information, understanding the applicable charges and ensuring that every stage of the process is properly completed,” she said.
Odibe cited the reported suspension by a major shipping line of the acceptance of palm kernel shell exports from Nigeria in October 2026, following infestation concerns involving shipments at destination.
She said the reported discovery of maggots raised concerns about the condition of the commodity and the possibility of contamination, with implications beyond the affected shipment.
“Imagine an exporter who has purchased farm products from suppliers, paid for transportation, engaged a warehouse, arranged documentation, obtained inspection and certification, engaged a freight forwarder, and eventually delivered the cargo to the port of shipment.
“The exporter is exposed to financial losses. The shipping line becomes concerned about the risk associated with the commodity. Other exporters dealing with the same products are affected. Buyers may begin to question the quality of Nigerian agricultural commodities and the confidence we are trying to build in our export industry is put at risk,” she said.
Odibe said the incident raised important questions about where the process failed. She stressed that responsibility for a rejected consignment should not be placed on the exporter alone, noting that suppliers, aggregators, inspection and quarantine authorities, treatment providers, freight forwarders and other operators also participated in the process.
“Export quality assurance cannot be the responsibility of one stakeholder. Every participant has a role, and their weakness at one stage can create consequences for everyone else,” she said.
Meanwhile, BusinessDay’s Ignatius Chukwu has attributed the rise in Nigeria’s export earnings from about $2.5 billion to $6.8 billion to the collective efforts of operators across the value chain, while urging stakeholders to sustain the collaboration and reforms driving the gains.
Chukwu, who received an award for his contribution to export promotion at the export meeting, said the performance reflected the work of exporters, regulators and support institutions, including the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Nigeria Customs Service.
He said the value of institutions and individuals should be measured by the value they create, noting that export earnings had grown substantially over the past four years.
Chukwu noted that the growth in export earnings showed that stakeholders in the value chain were delivering results, despite frequent criticism of their performance.
“Some four years ago, we were earning between $2 million and $2.5 billion. As we speak, export is $6.8 billion. It is the work done by these same people (government agencies and stakeholders) we are condemning every time,” he said.
Chukwu dedicated the award to stakeholders in the export ecosystem, adding that criticism should push them to improve rather than diminish their contribution.
“So we are always bashing you (agencies and stakeholders) with what you have generated. You are working. Make it better,” he said.
He further called for the creation of an investigation bureau to resolve complaints and disputes in the export and business environment quickly.
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