By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigeria Customs Service, Lilypond Export Command, has recorded export transactions valued at $925.84 million in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 38.68 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2025.
The Controller of the Command, Comptroller S.O. Ariyibi, disclosed this during a press briefing held in Lagos.
> “The Command processed exports valued at $925.84 million in Q1 2026, compared to $667.59 million recorded in Q1 2025,” he said.
Ariyibi attributed the growth to reforms and strategic initiatives introduced under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
“Export remains critical to Nigeria’s economy, as it drives foreign exchange earnings and economic diversification,” he added.
He explained that January 2026 recorded a slight decline of 1.12 per cent, with exports valued at $267.66 million, compared to $270.70 million in January 2025.
February, however, saw a 12.43 per cent increase to $253.12 million, while March recorded a sharp rise of 135.83 per cent to $425.48 million.
The Command also processed 19,014 export containers during the period, representing a 95.58 per cent increase over the 9,722 containers recorded in Q1 2025.
A breakdown showed that agricultural exports rose to $608.46 million from $523.26 million, while manufactured goods increased significantly to $297.36 million from $93.48 million.
“Manufactured goods are emerging as a major contributor to export growth,” Ariyibi said.
However, exports of solid minerals declined to $5.23 million from $42.17 million.
The Command recorded an increase in export surcharge collections, which rose to ₦199.36 million from ₦163.66 million, while NESS collections increased to ₦6.03 billion.
Ariyibi said the Command was working towards the implementation of the National Single Window platform to improve trade processes.
“We are preparing for a unified export documentation system to enhance efficiency,” he said.
He urged exporters to comply with regulations and avoid infractions.