The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment said the performance of the zones reflected broad reforms implemented in 2025 to deepen industrial capacity, expand exports, attract investment, and restore confidence among global investors.
The findings were outlined in a document titled 2025: A Defining Year for Nigeria’s Industry, Trade and Investment.
“Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones generated over $500m in export revenues and created more than 20,000 direct jobs, reinforcing their role as engines of export-led growth, industrialisation and employment generation,” the report said, noting coordinated work by the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority.
The figures arrive amid broader gains in Nigeria’s trade landscape, with non-oil exports rising by about 21 per cent to $12.8 billion in the first half of 2025, nearly double the government’s internal target of $6.5 billion for that period.
This growth helped produce a trade surplus worth roughly N12 trillion, driven by stronger export performance and improvements in trade facilitation and logistics.
According to the review, the rise in non-oil exports was supported by increased value addition in key agricultural and manufactured products.
Nigeria’s top export earners included cocoa and cocoa derivatives, sesame seeds, cashew nuts, shea butter, ginger, hibiscus flowers, rubber, processed palm oil, fertilisers, cement, and liquefied natural gas. Efforts to build exporter capacity were also highlighted.
Working with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the ministry said it trained more than 27,000 exporters, certified 200 micro, small, and medium enterprises for international markets, and supported over 3,000 farmers by distributing hybrid seedlings. One inclusive trade initiative, the Women Export Fund, attracted more than 67,000 applications and awarded grants to 146 women-led businesses.
On investment flows, the ministry pointed to a recovery in foreign interest in Nigeria’s economy, reporting that four priority projects worth a combined $13.7 billion had advanced from the memorandum of understanding stage towards implementation.
These commitments stemmed from a larger pipeline of deals originally valued at more than $50.8 billion.
The review credited structured engagement with investors and high-level trade missions for helping to reshape perceptions of Nigeria’s business environment and improve deal quality. It said these engagements laid the groundwork for stronger investment pipelines and positioned Nigeria as a credible destination for long-term capital.
Analysts say the performance of the special economic zones and the wider export boom are part of efforts to diversify the economy, reduce reliance on crude oil earnings, and build more resilient sources of foreign exchange.
Nigeria’s recent trade and export momentum is seen as a sign of gradual progress in structural economic reforms, even as challenges in infrastructure and competitiveness remain on policymakers’ agenda.
The government said it plans to build on the gains of 2025 by accelerating export execution and sustaining investment flows, aiming to create jobs and foster more inclusive growth in the coming years.
By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa
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