Manufactured goods led the list with its value rose from approximately US$169.90 million in the third quarter of 2025 to US$402.52 million in the same period of 2026.
The Lilypond Export Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded a total export value of US$752.85 million in the third quarter of 2026, representing a 22.14 per cent increase over the US$586.15 million recorded during the corresponding period of 2025.
The Acting Customs Area Controller (CAC), Deputy Comptroller Olushola Oluyemi Salako, disclosed this at the Enforcement Unit of the Command, on Wednesday, October 28, while briefing journalists on the Command’s operational performance since he assumed office on August 24, 2026.
He highlighted the growth in overall export value, manufactured goods, container throughput and export-related collections, alongside declines in agricultural exports and solid minerals.
According to Salako, the Command’s third-quarter export value increased by US$166.70 million compared with the same period last year, reflecting improved performance across key areas of export activity.
He attributed the positive results to operational stability, stakeholder cooperation and sustained efforts to facilitate legitimate trade while ensuring compliance with relevant Customs laws and government policies.
Providing a breakdown of the quarterly performance, Salako said export values increased in each of the three months under review compared with the corresponding months of 2025.
In July, export value rose from US$202.60 million in 2025 to US$217.53 million in 2026, representing growth of 6.86 per cent.
August recorded the strongest monthly increase, with export value climbing from US$176.63 million to US$297.92 million, an increase of 40.71 per cent.
In September, export value grew from US$206.92 million in 2025 to US$237.41 million in 2026, representing a 12.84 per cent increase.
The figures show that August made a particularly strong contribution to the Command’s overall third-quarter performance, while July and September also maintained positive year-on-year growth.
Salako said the results reflected the level of activity passing through the Command and the importance of sustained cooperation among exporters, Customs personnel and other agencies involved in the export process.
A major highlight of the briefing was the substantial increase in manufactured goods exports, which emerged as the largest contributor to the Command’s reported third-quarter export value.
Salako disclosed that export value in the sector dropped from US$62.27 million in the third quarter of 2025 to US$6.49 million in the corresponding period of 2026.
This represents a decline of approximately 89.58 per cent.
During the question-and-answer session, the Acting CAC attributed the reduction largely to government policies requiring the semi-processing or full processing of minerals before export.
He explained that the policy was also encouraging greater domestic utilization of mineral resources, rather than the export of raw materials without sufficient local processing.
Salako said the Command would continue engaging relevant stakeholders to better understand the challenges affecting the sector and support legitimate export activities in line with existing regulations.
The sharp decline in solid minerals exports, alongside the increase in manufactured goods, highlighted the changing composition of the Command’s export portfolio during the quarter.
The Command also reported significant growth in other export categories, with export value increasing from US$7.87 million in the third quarter of 2025 to US$32.86 million in the corresponding period of 2026.
The increase represents growth of approximately 317.7 per cent.
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