Top 10 agricultural products
Nigeria exported agricultural products worth N747.54 billion from its top 10 agricultural export categories in the second quarter of 2026, with cashew nuts, cocoa beans and sesame seeds leading the list.
An analysis of data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics showed that cashew nuts in shell recorded the highest export value at N268.62 billion.
Standard quality cocoa beans followed with N154.31 billion, while sesamum seeds ranked third with N96.03 billion.
The combined value of the top 10 agricultural exports in Q2 was 34.8 per cent lower than the N1.15 trillion recorded in the first quarter of 2026. It was also 39 per cent lower than the N1.23 trillion recorded in the second quarter of 2025.
10. Soya beans seed – N11.44 billion
Soya beans seed ranked 10th, with exports valued at N11.44 billion in Q2 2026.
The figure was more than double the N5.20 billion recorded in Q1.
9. Crude Shea oil – N12.66 billion
Crude Shea oil generated N12.66 billion in exports during the quarter.
This was an increase from the N9.14 billion recorded in Q1 2026.
8. Natural cocoa butter – N27.60 billion
Nigeria exported natural cocoa butter worth N27.60 billion in Q2.
The figure was lower than the N41.69 billion recorded in Q1 and far below the N105.07 billion recorded in Q2 2025.
7. Other cut flowers and flower buds – N31.43 billion
Other cut flowers and flower buds generated N31.43 billion in Q2.
The figure was significantly higher than the N12.23 billion recorded in Q1, although it was slightly below the N33.41 billion recorded in Q2 2025.
6. Soya bean flours and meals – N36.41 billion
Exports of soya bean flours and meals stood at N36.41 billion in Q2.
Although this was lower than the N53.20 billion recorded in Q1, it was much higher than the N20.64 billion recorded in Q2 2025.
The product therefore recorded a year on year increase of about 76.4 per cent.
5. Soya beans excluding seeds – N50.22 billion
Soya beans excluding seeds ranked fifth, with exports worth N50.22 billion.
The figure represented a 61.2 per cent decline from the N129.27 billion recorded in Q1 2026.
The product was also not among the top 10 agricultural exports in Q2 2025.
4. Superior quality cocoa beans – N58.82 billion
Superior quality cocoa beans generated N58.82 billion in Q2.
This was a major drop from the N596.90 billion recorded in Q1 2026 and the N277.02 billion recorded in Q2 2025.
The Q2 figure represented a 90.1 per cent decline from Q1, causing the product to fall from first place in Q1 to fourth place in Q2.
3. Sesamum seeds – N96.03 billion
Sesamum seeds generated N96.03 billion, making it Nigeria’s third largest agricultural export in Q2.
The figure was down 37.6 per cent from the N153.78 billion recorded in Q1.
However, compared with the N78 billion recorded in Q2 2025, sesame exports increased by 23.1 per cent.
2. Standard quality cocoa beans – N154.31 billion
Standard quality cocoa beans ranked second after generating N154.31 billion in Q2.
This was a huge increase from the N2.40 billion recorded in Q1 2026, representing a rise of more than 6,320 per cent.
However, the Q2 figure was still below the N208.47 billion recorded in Q2 2025.
1. Cashew nuts in shell – N268.62 billion
Cashew nuts in shell emerged as Nigeria’s biggest agricultural export in Q2 2026, with exports valued at N268.62 billion.
Cashew also topped the list in Q2 2025, when exports were worth N352.67 billion.
The Q2 2026 figure represented a 23.8 per cent decline compared with the same period in 2025.
Cocoa remains a major export
Cocoa remained one of Nigeria’s most important agricultural exports during the quarter, although there was a major change in the types of cocoa products being exported.
Standard quality cocoa beans generated N154.31 billion, while superior quality cocoa beans brought in N58.82 billion. Natural cocoa butter added N27.60 billion.
Together, the three cocoa categories generated N240.73 billion in Q2. This was significantly lower than the N590.56 billion generated by the same categories in Q2 2025.
The biggest change was seen in superior quality cocoa beans, whose export value dropped from N596.90 billion in Q1 to N58.82 billion in Q2.
At the same time, standard quality cocoa beans rose sharply from N2.40 billion in Q1 to N154.31 billion in Q2.
Cashew and soybean exports remain strong
Cashew and soybean products also made a major contribution to Nigeria’s agricultural exports.
Cashew nuts in shell generated N268.62 billion, while the three soybean categories in the top 10 generated a combined N98.07 billion.
Together, cashew and soybean products were worth N366.69 billion, accounting for almost half of the total value of the top 10 agricultural exports.
The figures show that Nigeria’s agricultural export earnings are not dependent on cocoa alone, with cashew and soybean products also playing an important role.
What the figures show
Nigeria’s agricultural exports remain concentrated around a small number of commodities.
The top three products, cashew nuts in shell, standard quality cocoa beans and sesamum seeds, generated N518.96 billion. This represented about 69.4 per cent of the N747.54 billion recorded by the top 10 agricultural exports.
This concentration presents both opportunities and risks.
Strong demand for Nigerian cashew, cocoa and sesame could boost export earnings. However, changes in international prices, production levels, export volumes or quality requirements could also have a major effect on the country’s agricultural export performance.
The sharp changes between the first and second quarters also show the volatility of Nigeria’s agricultural export market.
For farmers and exporters, the figures highlight the importance of expanding into different products and markets rather than relying heavily on a few commodities.
