ABUJA — The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has urged agro-exporters to explore the European Union’s consumer market of over 400 million people, highlighting that non-oil exports currently make up only 10 percent of Nigeria’s total trade with the bloc despite a $21.87 billion trade volume in 2024.
Executive Director and CEO of NEPC, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, disclosed this during the 8th NEPC webinar series themed, “EU Regulations for Importation of Nigeria’s Agri-food Products.” She described the EU as one of Nigeria’s most strategic trade partners, accounting for about 26 percent of the country’s total trade, with key exports including cocoa, oilseeds, fish, seafood, rubber, leather, and wood.
Ayeni stressed that the low share of non-oil exports presents a significant opportunity to expand Nigeria’s footprint in the EU. “When value is added to agricultural commodities instead of exporting them raw, Nigeria can earn premium prices, create jobs, boost industrialisation, reduce poverty, and diversify the economy,” she said.
She also noted that global trade is increasingly driven by standards, regulations, traceability, and sustainability principles, urging exporters to leverage Nigeria’s abundant agricultural resources—including cocoa, sesame, hibiscus, ginger, and spices—to meet international market requirements.
