The Tinubu Media Volunteers has attributed the phenomenal increase in non-oil export earnings in the first quarter of 2026 to the economic reforms introduced by the President Bola Tinubu administration.
In a statement signed by its Chairman Chukwudi Enekwechi and Secretary Segun Ogedengbe, the group expressed a conviction that the upward trajectory would be sustained.
The statement reads in part: “For us, it is a welcome development that the diversification of the economy as envisaged by the federal government is now driving the significant growth being witnessed in the non-oil export earnings.
“It is noted that the new data from the Nigeria Customs Service indicated a strong growth in export earnings, cargo movement and revenue collections. What this means is that Nigeria’s trade performance has recorded a significant upswing in the first quarter of this year and this trajectory is likely to continue.
“Also from the data, we can see a notable rebounding of non-oil trade with the export value rising by 38.68% in Q1 of this year compared to the corresponding period in 2025.
“It is also observed that export logistics improved with container throughput doubling within the period under review. While the exports processed stood at $925.84m representing a 38.68% increase compared to Q1 2025 the total containers handled increased to 19,014 from 9,722 showing a 95.58 % increase.
“We therefore applaud the federal government for the various reforms initiated in port operations, customs procedures and the several trade facilitation measures.
“We also attribute the rise to increased export activities especially in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors as Nigeria intensifies its diversification push away from crude oil dependence.
“We also align ourselves with the position of the industry stakeholders that while the Q1 2026 trade performance indicates improved trade efficiency and export expansion, there is a need to sustain the momentum with infrastructure upgrades, policy consistency and improved access to export markets.”
The group urged newly-appointed ambassadors to use their good offices not only to attract foreign investors but to explore export markets for Nigerian goods and services.
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