Sterling Bank Champions Nigeria’s Trade Sovereignty

Sterling Bank Limited has called for a shift from raw commodity exports to value-added, export-grade manufacturing as Nigeria seeks to reduce dependence on crude oil.

At the second edition of its Excel in Non-Oil Export Forum held in Lagos themed ‘Reclaiming Sovereignty: Value Addition, Compliance, and the Future of Nigeria’s Non-Oil Export’, the bank and co-convenor Sunbeth Global Concepts gathered exporters, regulators and financial experts to tackle compliance and processing gaps.

Despite non-oil exports hitting a historic $6.1 trillion in 2025, crude oil still accounts for over 80 per cent of FX earnings, highlighting the need to process, certify and manufacture finished goods...