Nigeria's agricultural exports suffered a sharp reversal in the first quarter of 2026, falling 31.2 per cent year on year as prolonged port delays, excessive pesticide application and failure to obtain required phytosanitary certification triggered rising rejections of Nigerian produce in international markets, according to Vanguard. Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics put agricultural exports at ₦1.172 trillion in the quarter, down from ₦1.704 trillion a year earlier and 11.39 per cent below the ₦1.323 trillion recorded in the final quarter of 2025.
The Chemicals Behind the Rejections
Research cited by the Amalgamated Agric Practitioners of Nigeria found that 65 per cent of active ingredients in chemicals used by Nigerian farmers are classified as highly hazardous pesticides, with more than 80 per cent of farmers applying such substances to their produce, the Vanguard report showed. One practitioner warned, in comments carried by the same report, that Nigerians themselves "are eating pesticides that are highly hazardous", pointing out that many of the chemicals involved are banned in the European countries that produce them. Molecular biologist Ifeanyi Casmir added that weak enforcement leaves outlawed pesticides in circulation long after bans are announced, eventually surfacing as residues on export consignments.
Still Selling Raw
The setback lands on a trade that remains dominated by unprocessed goods. Superior quality cocoa beans topped agricultural exports at ₦596.90 billion, followed by sesame seeds at ₦153.78 billion, soya beans at ₦129.27 billion and cashew nuts in shell at ₦119.76 billion, according to Vanguard's review of the same NBS data. Regulators have long flagged the problem, with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control reporting that a large share of Nigeria's commodity exports are turned away by the European Union over safety standards, as documented in an analysis of the rejection pattern covering beans, sesame, melon seeds, dried fish, groundnuts, palm oil and yams.
The same handling and chemical practices that get a container rejected in Europe also shape what reaches Nigerian tables. FoodPrices Nigeria tracks verified retail prices across Lagos markets and follows the quality and supply issues that sit behind them.