Export Trade and Economic Growth in Nigeria: A Study of Selected Agricultural Commodities Exports

The study examined the selected agricultural commodities exports and economic growth in Nigeria from 1999-2022. The objectives of the study are to; examine the impact of cocoa exports, hide and skin exports as well as textile exports on real gross domestic product in Nigeria. Semi-annual data was collected from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletin. The study applied the technique of Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to determine both the long run and short run relationship between the dependent and the independent variables. Meanwhile, the technique of Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root test was used to ascertain the order of integration of the variables before the variables were subjected to the ARDL technique of analysis. Based on the empirical results; in the long-run, cocoa exports, hide and skin exports; as well as textile exports all have positive relationship with real GDP in Nigeria. The empirical result showed that, in the short-run, cocoa exports, hide and skin exports, as well as textile exports all have positive and significant relationship with real gross domestic product. The implication of this result is that, the degree of the impact of agricultural commodities exports in term of cocoa, hide and skin, and textile have the potential to boost economic growth of the Nigerians. Thus, it was recommended that various agricultural commodities that are required for exports should be given urgent developmental priority in terms of infrastructural provision because of their advantage of value addition and immediate returns to the economy.