Lilypond Export Command Records 38.7% Surge in Q1 2026 Export Value, Hits $925.8 Million
The Lilypond Export Command (LEXC) of the Nigeria Customs Service has announced a significant boost in export activities, recording a 38.68 per cent increase in export value in the first quarter of 2026, rising to $925.84 million from $667.60 million in the corresponding period of 2025.
Speaking during a press briefing held on 23 April 2026 at the Command in Ijora, Lagos, the Controller of Customs, Comptroller S.O. Ariyibi, attributed the impressive performance to strategic stakeholder engagement and policy alignment with the directives of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
Addressing journalists, Ariyibi underscored the critical role of export trade in Nigeria’s economic development, noting that it remains a major driver of foreign exchange earnings, economic diversification, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.
He emphasised that while crude oil continues to dominate Nigeria’s export landscape, non-oil exports – including agricultural produce, manufactured goods, and solid minerals – are essential for cushioning the economy against external shocks, creating employment opportunities, and stabilising the national currency.
The Customs boss disclosed that under his leadership, the Command has intensified efforts to enhance export trade facilitation through strict compliance with directives from Customs headquarters.
He revealed that the Command is actively advancing preparations for the deployment of the National Single Window platform, which will streamline export documentation processes and improve efficiency.
Providing a breakdown of the Command’s quarterly performance, Ariyibi noted that monthly export figures reflected mixed trends. In January 2026, export value dipped slightly by 1.12 per cent to $267.66 million, compared to $270.70 million recorded in January 2025.
February, however, witnessed a recovery with a 12.43 per cent increase, rising from $225.13 million in 2025 to $253.12 million in 2026. The most significant growth occurred in March, where exports surged by 135.83 per cent to $425.48 million, up from $171.76 million in March 2025.
In terms of container throughput, the Command processed 19,014 export containers within the quarter, marking a substantial increase of 95.58 per cent compared to the 9,722 containers handled in Q1 2025.
A sectoral analysis revealed varied performance across key export categories. Agricultural exports maintained a steady upward trajectory, growing from $523.26 million in Q1 2025 to $608.46 million in Q1 2026, reflecting an increase of $85.20 million.
Manufactured goods recorded the most remarkable growth, with export value rising sharply from $93.48 million to $297.36 million – an increase of $203.88 million – highlighting the sector’s growing contribution to Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.
Conversely, exports of solid and extractive minerals declined significantly, dropping from $42.17 million in Q1 2025 to $5.23 million in Q1 2026.
Ariyibi explained that the decline aligns with the Federal Government’s policy direction encouraging local processing and value addition rather than the export of raw materials.
On revenue generation, the Command reported an increase in export surcharge collections, which rose by 21.81 per cent to ₦199.36 million in Q1 2026, up from ₦163.66 million in the same period of 2025.
Similarly, collections under the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) recorded a notable increase of ₦1.01 billion, or 20.15 per cent, growing from ₦5.01 billion in Q1 2025 to ₦6.03 billion in Q1 2026.
In his concluding remarks, Ariyibi urged exporters operating within the Command’s jurisdiction to adhere strictly to existing export regulations and avoid infractions.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to sustained stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and the provision of support mechanisms to facilitate legitimate export activities.
He added that these efforts are geared towards strengthening Nigeria’s economy by promoting a favourable balance of trade and boosting non-oil export performance.
