The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reported that the Lilypond Export Command processed 27,721 containers and non-oil exports valued at 1.586 billion dollars between January and June 2025.
This represented a 36 per cent increase in export value, which rose by $420.9 million from the $1.165 billion recorded in the same period of 2024.
The command also recorded a 200% surge in container throughput compared to the 9,438 containers handled during the first half of 2024.
Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya, Customs Area Controller of the Lilypond Export Command, disclosed these figures at a press conference held on Thursday in Lagos, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“The Lilypond Export Command (LEXC) of the Nigeria Customs Service says it recorded an export value of $1.586 billion in the first half of the year.
“Comptroller Ajibola Odusanya, Customs Area Controller of the command, made this known at a news conference on Thursday in Lagos. Odusanya said that the figure increased by $420.9 million over the $1.165 million recorded in the same period of 2024, representing a 36% growth rate.
“He said during the review period, the command processed 27,721 export containers, a rise from the 9,438 containers handled during the same period in 2024.
“The area commander said this was a difference of 18,283 containers which translated to a 200% growth in container throughput,” the NAN report read in part.
Odusanya explained that exports through the Lilypond Command were grouped into four major categories: agricultural products, manufactured goods, solid minerals, and others. Agricultural produce remained dominant, with a total value of $966.73 million, significantly higher than $288.83 million in the same period of 2024.
For manufactured goods, the command processed exports worth N2.083 trillion in the first half of 2025, reflecting a substantial increase from N170 million recorded a year earlier. Odusanya said this growth signaled an improvement in Nigeria’s industrial output and diversification efforts.
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Under the Nigeria Export Supervision Scheme, which mandates statutory fees on all legitimate goods exported from Nigeria, the Lilypond Export Command collected N12 billion in six months, compared to N2.617 billion recorded in the same period of 2024.
- Odusanya attributed the improved performance to the command’s position as a hub for non-oil exports, better compliance by exporters, and the support of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who has created an enabling environment for trade facilitation.
- He noted that the command has been working closely with other regulatory agencies, including the NDLEA, SON, NAQS, NAFDAC, and the Police, to ensure smooth and lawful export processing.
Looking ahead, he expressed optimism that with the adoption of digital tools such as the B’Odogwu platform, the command will record even greater achievements. He urged exporters, freight forwarders, and haulage operators to remain compliant and take advantage of the command’s open-door policy.
