Lilypond Export Command Records 38.68% Growth in Export Value in Q1 2026

Lilypond Export Command Records 38.68% Growth in Export Value in Q1 2026

Lagos, Nigeria – April 23, 2026

The Lilypond Export Command (LEXC) of the Nigeria Customs Service has announced a significant increase in export activities for the first quarter of 2026, recording a total export value of $925.84 million, representing a 38.68% growth compared to $667.60 million in the corresponding period of 2025.

Speaking during a press briefing in Lagos, the Controller of the Command, Comptroller S.O. Ariyibi, attributed the growth to strategic stakeholder engagements and policy alignment with the directives of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.

He reiterated the critical role of exports in Nigeria’s economic development, noting that non-oil exports—particularly agricultural produce, manufactured goods, and solid minerals—remain essential for boosting foreign exchange earnings, promoting economic diversification, and stabilising the naira.

According to the Command, monthly performance within the quarter reflected mixed trends. January 2026 recorded a slight decline of 1.12% to $267.66 million, compared to $270.70 million in January 2025. February saw a 12.43% increase to $253.12 million from $225.13 million, while March experienced a substantial surge of 135.83%, rising to $425.48 million from $171.76 million recorded in March 2025.

The Command also reported a remarkable increase in container throughput, processing 19,014 export containers in Q1 2026—an increase of 95.58% compared to 9,722 containers handled in Q1 2025.

A breakdown of export categories shows that:

• Agricultural exports grew from $523.26 million in Q1 2025 to $608.46 million in Q1 2026, reflecting steady growth.
• Manufactured goods recorded a sharp increase from $93.48 million to $297.36 million, underscoring the sector’s rising importance in Nigeria’s diversification drive.
• Solid and extractive minerals declined from $42.17 million to $5.23 million, indicating a shift towards local processing and value addition.

In terms of revenue, export surcharge collections (2.5%) rose by 21.81%, reaching ₦199.36 million in Q1 2026, up from ₦163.66 million in Q1 2025. Similarly, proceeds under the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) increased by 20.15%, from ₦5.01 billion to ₦6.03 billion.

Comptroller Ariyibi noted that the Command is actively advancing the deployment of the National Single Window platform, with officers being prepared for seamless implementation of a unified export documentation system.

He urged exporters to remain compliant with all export regulations and stay updated on government guidelines, assuring stakeholders of the Command’s continued commitment to trade facilitation, capacity building, and support for legitimate export activities.

The Lilypond Export Command reaffirmed its dedication to strengthening Nigeria’s economy by promoting a favourable balance of trade through efficient export processes.