Nigeria attracted approximately $21 billion in capital importation during the first ten months of 2025, marking a 75 per cent increase from the $12 billion recorded in the full year of 2024 and a dramatic more than 425 per cent rise from under $4 billion in 2023.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed the figures on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, while defending the ministry’s budget before the House Committee on Commerce.
The minister attributed the strong growth to intensified bilateral investment engagements, with the ministry conducting over 100 such sessions both within Nigeria and internationally. These efforts strengthened ties with emerging partners such as the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, and Japan, while deepening relationships with established allies including the United States and the United Kingdom.
Mrs. Oduwole highlighted that investors from the United Kingdom accounted for about 65 per cent of Nigeria’s total foreign capital inflows in 2025, making the UK the dominant source of investment.
Capital importation comprises foreign direct investment (FDI), portfolio investment, and other investment inflows.
On the trade front, the minister reported that Nigeria achieved a trade surplus in 2025. Total trade value reached approximately ₦113 trillion in the first three quarters of the year. Exports grew by around 11 per cent year-on-year to $6.1 billion, representing the highest level ever recorded in both value and volume.
The significant rise in capital inflows reflects growing investor confidence in Nigeria’s economic reforms, improved macroeconomic stability, and targeted efforts to attract foreign investment across key sectors.
The minister’s presentation forms part of ongoing budget defence sessions in the National Assembly as lawmakers scrutinise ministry performance and allocations for the 2026 fiscal year.
