By Vivian Emoni
The Organisation of Youth in International Trade and Commerce (OY-ITC) has called for a broader review of Nigeria’s non-oil export performance, following recent figures released by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
The NEPC had reported that non-oil export earnings rose by 11.5 per cent, from 5.46 billion dollars in 2024 to 6.1 billion dollars in 2025.
Dr Chinedu Amadi, President of the OY-ITC, a Non-Governmental Organisation, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Amadi, also an economist, said that the figures were widely viewed as positive signals for Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts.
He said that the data largely reflected nominal earnings and may not fully capture underlying trade realities.
He said that since 2023, exchange-rate movements had influenced export values, sometimes raising earnings without corresponding increase in export volumes.
According to him, goods exported at similar international prices can yield higher dollar receipts due to currency adjustments.
Amadi also said that rising domestic costs had shaped exporters’ experiences in recent years.
He said that expenses related to energy, transportation, packaging, financing and farm inputs had increased across the export value chain.
“These cost pressures have affected output levels, particularly among small and medium-sized exporters,” he said.
The NGO president said that some exporters had adjusted operations cautiously, while others reduced market participation.
He further said that export assessments often focused on value rather than volume and productive capacity.
“Export growth is usually linked to higher output, processing activity and expanded industrial participation.
“Nigeria’s non-oil exports remain largely concentrated in raw and minimally processed commodities.
“Limited value addition increases exposure to price movements and currency changes,” he said.
Amadi said that long-term export growth depended on productivity improvements and stronger industrial linkages.
He said that strategic trade and industrial partnerships could support capacity development and export competitiveness.(NAN)
(www.nannews.nEdited by Kadiri Abdulrahman
