FG allocates N881m to boost non-oil exports

The Federal Government has allocated N881.13m to total capital projects of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, following an all-time high non-oil export record of $6.1bn in 2025.

Data from the 2026 budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly showed that the allocation targets institutional strengthening, export infrastructure, certification, market access, and value-chain development across the six geopolitical zones.

The allocation is included in the proposed N58.47tn federal budget, and growing policy emphasis on diversifying foreign exchange earnings away from crude oil.

A breakdown of the NEPC capital vote showed that the highest allocation of N143.99m went to the establishment of clusters, aggregation centres, and hubs in the six geopolitical zones, and N133m was set aside for the establishment of common facility centres and export skills acquisition centres in four geopolitical zones for top regional products.

The government also earmarked N84m for institutional strengthening to improve the operational efficiency of the NEPC.

Other allocations included N77m for implementing relevant certification for Nigerian exporters and SMEs under the ‘Go Global, Go Certification’ initiative, N70m each for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, participation in international trade fairs and trade missions, and developing the services sector and facilitating SME exporters’ market access through e-commerce and digital trade.

The budget further provided N63m for a standard trade development facility on sesame seed and cowpea, N49m for the operationalisation and licensing of domestic export warehouses, and N42m to increase non-oil exports through the formalisation of informal cross-border trade and the expansion of women- and youth-led businesses.

The lowest allocations included N21m each for the verification and computerisation of the council’s fixed assets at its headquarters and the purchase and rent of out-of-home digital advertising billboards to promote non-oil exports in Abuja and the six regions. Lastly, N37.14m was allocated to implementing innovations in accounting practices for budget management and financial disclosure.

The funding follows the January report that Nigeria’s non-oil exports rose to $6.1bn in 2025. The PUNCH reported that it was the highest level recorded since the NEPC’s establishment nearly 50 years ago.

The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NEPC, Nonye Ayeni, said the figure was based on records from pre-shipment inspection agencies. She said, the figure was “Nigerian non-oil export performance in 2025 reached an all-time high. The non-oil export sector rose to approximately 6.1bn U.S. dollars, representing a year-on-year growth of about 11.5 per cent over and above the 5.4bn U.S. dollars recorded in 2024.”