Nigeria’s air freight export market is projected to grow from $3 billion in 2024 to $5.6 billion by 2029 at a compound yearly growth rate of 13.54 per cent, driven by rising social commerce, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) exports and diaspora trade.
According to a new report by Topship, an indigenous digital shipping platform, Nigeria is positioned among the fastest-growing freight markets globally, highlighting a structural shift in the continent’s trade ecosystem, where SMEs are increasingly shipping goods directly to international customers.
The report, which drew on data from organisations, including the International Air Transport Association and United Nations Development Programme, said Africa’s air cargo demand recorded a 15.6 per cent year-on-year increase as of November 2025 – the fastest regional growth reported worldwide.
The report noted that African social commerce expanded by 51 per cent yearly between 2021 and 2024, with fashion, beauty and food emerging as dominant export categories.
It said Nigeria’s exports to other African countries reached N4.82 trillion in the first half of 2025, reflecting a 14 per cent increase year-on-year.
The report also cited increased global investor confidence, noting that DHL Group committed over €300 million to Africa in October 2025, describing Sub-Saharan Africa as the fastest-growing trade region globally in the first half of last year.
The report documented a structural shift already underway, noting that African small businesses, from Lagos fashion designers to Nairobi beauty entrepreneurs and Accra food processors, are now shipping directly to customers in London, New York, Houston and beyond at volumes and speeds that would have been impossible five years ago.
Sectoral analysis within the report identified four key industries fuelling Africa’s export growth.
The report noted that Africa’s fashion and apparel market is projected to grow from $3.5 billion in 2024 to $9.4 billion by 2028, while Nigeria’s diaspora food and grocery market is currently valued between $300 million and $500 million, with a yearly growth rate of 10 to 12 per cent.
In the beauty segment, the report stated that exports of African beauty products and ingredients are estimated at between $800 million and $1.2 billion, with projections to reach $2 billion by 2030.
Meanwhile, the continent’s consumer electronics sector continues to benefit from a mobile-first economy, supported by over 650 million smartphones in circulation and continues to drive sustained cross-border demand.
The report further highlighted the role of MSMEs in driving this transformation, citing examples such as Beevee Emporium, a Lagos-based fashion brand leveraging reliable cross-border shipping to scale internationally.
At the heart of the report is the African MSME exporter, a generation of small business owners using digital platforms, social media, and logistics technology to build international customer bases without the infrastructure previously available only to large corporations.
Speaking on the findings, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Topship, Moses Enenwali, said the continent’s export growth is being powered by a new generation of digitally enabled entrepreneurs.
He said African Shipping Outlook 2025 puts numbers to what has been seen on the ground, noting that the opportunity is real, growing, and belongs to African businesses.
