Top 10 Agricultural Export Products from Nigeria in High Global Demand

The agricultural export products from Nigeria that earn the most are cocoa beans, cocoa butter, cashew nuts, sesame seeds, soya products, cut flowers and frozen shrimp. Cocoa alone takes the top two places in the 2025 ranking, based on Nigerian trade data reported by Nairametrics. This guide lists ten Nigerian agricultural exports, where they were reported to go, why shipments get rejected, and how to take your first steps in an export business in Nigeria.

All values below are as reported for 2025 from that source, which cites the National Bureau of Statistics. Numbers are in naira and shift with prices and exchange rates, so use them to see relative size, not to plan a budget.

Ranking of Nigerian agricultural exports in 2025

The report ranked products by export value. Here are the ten we cover, in that order, with ginger added at the end because it is widely exported and was part of a reported shipment to China.

1. Superior quality cocoa beans

About ₦1.57 trillion, the biggest single line. Reported destinations: the Netherlands, Belgium, Malaysia, Indonesia and Canada.

2. Standard quality cocoa beans

About ₦1.47 trillion, up more than 117% on the year before. Destinations included the Netherlands, Belgium, Malaysia, Canada and Italy.

3. Cashew nuts in shell

About ₦599 billion, with Vietnam, India, Belgium and the Netherlands as destinations. Much of this is raw cashew that is processed abroad.

4. Sesame seeds

About ₦456 billion, down about 25% from the year before. Reported markets: China, Japan, Turkey and Greece. A fall like this shows how price and supply swings can affect sesame farmers.

5. Natural cocoa butter

About ₦320 billion, mainly to Germany and the Netherlands, also Estonia, South Africa and France. This is the clearest value-added product on the list.

6. Shelled cashew nuts

About ₦184 billion. Processing in Nigeria earns more per tonne but needs equipment and food-safety controls.

7. Flours and meals of soya beans

About ₦95 billion, with buyers including the United States, France, Canada and Israel.

8. Cut flowers and flower buds

About ₦87 billion. The report did not name destinations.

9. Frozen shrimps and prawns

About ₦81 billion. Seafood has strict health and cold-chain rules.

10. Ginger

Ginger was not in the 2025 top ten by value, but it is a known Nigerian export. In December 2022, a reported programme by the National Youth Service Corps and Zeenab Foods Ltd began shipping ginger, sesame and soybean to China. Treat ginger as an option that suits small processors, not as proof of a ready market.

Why these Nigerian agro exports sell

Nigeria agro export is dominated by raw materials, so a sesame cocoa cashew ginger export Nigeria shipment is usually sold to factories overseas that turn it into oil, chocolate, snacks or spice products. NEPC export products lists are a good place to see what the agency promotes. Cocoa, cashew and sesame are standard raw materials for factories overseas. Buyers want them in steady supply and in the quality they specify. Nigerian exporters often win on volume and price, but lose on consistency. A buyer who receives wet, mixed or contaminated lots will not reorder.

Standards, NAFDAC and rejections

NAFDAC has said European and US border rejections of Nigerian food products were linked to pesticide residues, impurities, levels above permitted limits, and poor packaging and labelling. It also said many rejected items left Nigeria without NAFDAC or NAQS certification. That article is a few years old, so check current rules, but the lesson holds: dry properly, store cleanly, test where buyers require it and use proper certificates.

Documents and registration for a Nigerian export business

According to NEPC and the Nigeria trade portal, the usual steps are: register your company with CAC, get a TIN, open an export proceeds account, register with NEPC for an exporter's certificate, and submit Form NXP through your bank. Agricultural commodities need a phytosanitary certificate from NAQS. Processed and semi-processed food needs a health certificate from NAFDAC. A certificate of origin is issued through NACCIMA where trade-agreement benefits apply. A licensed customs agent is needed for clearance. Export incentives such as the Export Expansion Grant exist, but rules and rates change, so confirm with NEPC. The full process is covered in our guide to exporting from Nigeria. This is general information, not legal advice.

Buyer markets to watch, including China

Europe takes most cocoa, India and Vietnam take cashew, and Asian buyers take sesame. China is of growing interest for Nigerian exporters, especially since the zero-tariff announcement for African countries from May 2026, whose exact product coverage you must verify. See Chinese buyers of Nigerian agricultural products and the wider list of agricultural export products from Africa.

Many Nigerian agricultural exports leave as raw commodities. Buyers pay more for clean, graded, traceable lots, so spending on drying, sorting, storage and records often pays back faster than hunting for new markets. Farmers can also join a cooperative or work with an aggregator to meet larger orders, but should agree quality checks and payment dates in writing. If you plan to process, remember that food processors need NAFDAC registration for products sold in Nigeria and may need further approvals for the destination market.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most exported agricultural product in Nigeria? Cocoa beans, by value, in the 2025 data reported by Nairametrics.

Can I export with small capital? Some people start with dried products like sesame or ginger, but you still need registration, certificates and a real buyer. Beware anyone who asks for large upfront fees.

Does NEPC buy my goods? No. NEPC is a promotion agency that registers exporters and supports them. Buyers must come from your own search.

Where can I check NEPC export products lists? On the NEPC website, and confirm any incentives with them directly.

Getting started

An export business Nigeria style is built one shipment at a time. Choose one product, get your registrations moving and ask a buyer for their written specification before you buy stock. On Comilmart, a marketplace connecting buyers with verified sellers across Africa, you can browse food and agro listings, or create an account to start. Comilmart is run by the same team that publishes this guide.