Indorama, Dangote and Starlink Lead Nigeria’s Non-Oil Export Drive as Earnings Rise

Nigeria's push to reduce its dependence on crude oil is gaining momentum, with fertiliser producers and agricultural commodity exporters emerging among the companies driving the country's non-oil export earnings. Indorama Eleme Fertilizer & Chemical Limited, Dangote Fertilizer Limited and Starlink Global & Ideal Limited emerged as Nigeria's three leading non-oil exporters in 2025, according to data released by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council. The figures underline the growing importance of fertiliser, cocoa and other agricultural commodities to Nigeria's foreign-exchange earnings at a time when policymakers are seeking to broaden the country's export base. NEPC's full-year assessment showed Indorama accounting for 13.13% of export value, followed by Dangote Fertilizer with 8.41% and Starlink Global & Ideal with 8.06%. A separate list circulating online puts their respective export values at approximately $800 million, $510 million and $490 million. Fertiliser Companies Dominate Export Rankings Indorama's position at the top reflects the importance of Nigeria's expanding fertiliser industry to the country's non-oil trade. The company operates a major fertiliser complex in Eleme, Rivers State and exports urea to international markets. Dangote Fertilizer also occupies a prominent position in the sector, with its large-scale production facility supplying both domestic and overseas markets. The dominance of the two companies is not entirely new. Central Bank of Nigeria data for October 2024 had already identified Indorama and Dangote Fertilizer among the country's biggest non-oil exporters. During that month, Indorama accounted for 18.97% of the export receipts covered by the CBN report, while Dangote Fertilizer accounted for 8.72%. That earlier report also identified Outspan Nigeria, Starlink Global & Ideal and Olatunde International among the five leading exporters. The comparison shows that several companies that featured prominently in 2024 continued to play major roles in Nigeria's export sector during 2025. Cocoa and Agricultural Exports Remain Crucial Nigeria's non-oil export story is not being driven by fertiliser alone. Agricultural commodities, particularly cocoa, cashew nuts and sesame seeds, continue to generate substantial export revenue. NEPC reported that Nigeria exported 281 different non-oil products during 2025. Cocoa beans were the country's biggest non-oil export product by value, generating approximately $1.99 billion. Urea followed with about $1.29 billion, while cashew nuts generated approximately $456.9 million. Sesame exports were valued at about $300.3 million, while gold dore contributed roughly $228.8 million. The figures illustrate how both agriculture and industrial processing are contributing to Nigeria's attempts to build export revenue beyond crude petroleum. Companies involved in cocoa processing and agricultural commodity trading also feature prominently among the exporters identified in industry data. The online 2025 ranking places Sunbeth Global Concept, Outspan Nigeria, Tulip Cocoa Processing, Segilola Resources Operating, Olatunde International, Metal Recycling Industries and Agro Traders behind the three leading exporters. However, Tokenpress could independently confirm through NEPC reporting that Indorama, Dangote Fertilizer and Starlink Global & Ideal were the country's top three exporters for 2025. The exact full top-10 dollar ranking circulating online should therefore be distinguished from the independently confirmed NEPC top-three ranking. Nigeria Records Stronger Non-Oil Export Performance Beyond individual companies, Nigeria recorded significant growth in its non-oil trade during 2025. NEPC reported non-oil exports worth approximately $6.09 billion for the year, describing the performance as a record under the council's export-data framework. The council said Nigeria shipped approximately 8.02 million metric tonnes of non-oil products during the period. Separately, Central Bank of Nigeria balance-of-payments data put non-oil exports at $9.31 billion in 2025, up from $7.46 billion in 2024 — an increase of approximately 24.8%. At first glance, the CBN's $9.31 billion figure appears to conflict with the $6.09 billion reported by NEPC. However, the figures originate from different statistical frameworks and should not automatically be interpreted as one agency disproving the other. The CBN figure comes from balance-of-payments reporting, while NEPC's figure is based on non-oil export data compiled through its export-monitoring framework. This distinction is important when assessing claims that the top exporters accounted for a particular percentage of Nigeria's total non-oil exports. Export Destinations Also Diversifying Nigeria's non-oil products are reaching markets across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa. Earlier CBN data covering October 2024 showed Brazil as the biggest destination during that particular reporting period, accounting for 20.22% of non-oil exports. The Netherlands followed with 15.61%, while Malaysia accounted for 11.76%. Japan, Germany and the United States were also significant destinations. By the first half of 2025, however, NEPC data showed a different pattern. The Netherlands had become the biggest destination by export value, followed by the United States and India. Changes in rankings between reporting periods are expected because demand for commodities, international prices and the timing of major shipments can affect export destinations. Diversification Beyond Crude Oil Nigeria has historically relied heavily on crude oil for foreign-exchange earnings, making expansion of other export industries a major economic objective. The latest figures show that fertiliser manufacturing and agricultural commodities are increasingly important parts of that diversification effort. There are also signs of movement toward processed and semi-processed products rather than exclusive reliance on raw agricultural commodities. For Nigerian exporters, expanding processing capacity could allow businesses to capture more value before products leave the country. The 2025 performance nevertheless shows that a relatively small group of large companies still accounts for a substantial share of formally recorded exports. Indorama, Dangote Fertilizer and Starlink's positions at the top demonstrate the scale that Nigerian manufacturers and commodity exporters can achieve in international markets. With cocoa generating billions of dollars and fertiliser producers maintaining a significant international presence, Nigeria's non-oil export sector is becoming an increasingly important component of the country's external trade. Sustaining that momentum will depend not only on the country's biggest exporters but also on whether more Nigerian manufacturers, processors and agricultural businesses can competitively reach international markets.