Nigeria recorded approximately $21 billion in capital importation within the first 10 months of 2025 — a striking 75 per cent increase from the $12 billion recorded in 2024, and a remarkable 425 per cent rise from under $4 billion in 2023.
The disclosure came from the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Jumoke Oduwole, during the ministry’s budget defence before the House Committee on Commerce.
Investment Diplomacy
Addressing lawmakers, Mrs. Oduwole linked the surge to intensified economic engagement.
The ministry, she said, conducted over 100 bilateral investment engagements, both within Nigeria and abroad.
These efforts strengthened relations with emerging partners such as the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, and Japan, while reinforcing longstanding alliances with the United States and the United Kingdom.
She further revealed that UK investors accounted for approximately 65 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign capital inflows in 2025.
Capital importation — comprising foreign direct investment, portfolio investment, and other forms of investment — is often regarded as a barometer of global confidence.
The Federal Government has at different fora reiterated it commitment to improving the investment climate, including policy reforms aimed at enhancing transparency, boosting non-oil exports, and attracting strategic foreign partnerships.
Trade Expansion
The capital surge coincides with encouraging trade data.
Mrs. Oduwole informed the committee that Nigeria posted a trade surplus in 2025, with total trade valued at approximately ₦113 trillion in the first three quarters.
Exports grew 11 per cent year-on-year to $6.1 billion, marking the highest level ever achieved in both value and volume.
The government to strengthen export performance and diversify revenue sources, particularly as Nigeria seeks to reduce vulnerability to external shocks.
The trade surplus signals progress toward that objective — reflecting improved external balances and stronger participation in global markets.
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Diaspora Influence
Behind these figures lies a powerful, often understated force: Nigeria’s diaspora.
Beyond remittances, Nigerians abroad are increasingly participating in structured investments, technology ventures, and cross-border business partnerships.
With the United Kingdom contributing the majority of capital inflows in 2025, the influence of Nigeria’s professional and entrepreneurial diaspora community in Britain is significant.
Diaspora networks frequently serve as conduits for investment, facilitating trust and reducing information gaps between foreign markets and domestic opportunities.
The rebound from less than $4 billion in 2023 to $21 billion in 2025 represents a decisive shift in trajectory.
Economic Growth
In January, the minister said that Nigeria’s economy was showing strong signs of recovery with inflation falling, renewed interest from local and foreign investors, and growth above four per cent.
“The growth is over 4 per cent and projected to continue growing strongly by the World Bank, the highest in over a decade. Inflation has halved between 2024 and 2025,” Oduwole said while speaking during an interview with CNN at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
She also said trade systems are being modernised, including port operations.
“We have a single window project that’s going live at the end of this quarter. When you talk about investors coming in, the decisions that they’re taking are based on the fact that they can do business with the Nigerians,” she added.
