Trade between Nigeria and Niger Republic rebounded strongly in 2024, with exports from Nigeria soaring by 77.12% to N82.38 billion, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The total trade volume between both countries climbed to N91.92 billion in 2024, up from N50.48 billion recorded in 2023, despite diplomatic tensions.
The sharp increase was largely driven by Nigerian exports to Niger, which jumped from N46.51 billion in 2023 to N82.38 billion in 2024. Exports accounted for 89.62% of total trade, reflecting a strong demand for Nigerian goods in the Sahel nation.
Imports from Niger also rebounded from N3.97 billion in 2023 to N9.53 billion in 2024, signalling a gradual recovery in economic exchanges.
Trade volatility and diplomatic tension
- Trade between Nigeria and Niger has fluctuated significantly over the past five years. In 2020, total trade between the two countries stood at N6.69 billion before surging to N88.60 billion in 2021, driven by an increase in Nigerian exports to N78.40 billion.
- The momentum continued into 2022, with total trade reaching N95.76 billion. However, in 2023, economic activity between both nations dropped sharply by 47.28% to N50.48 billion following political instability in Niger.
The July 2023 coup that led to the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum triggered a diplomatic standoff between Nigeria and Niger, leading ECOWAS to impose sanctions on the country. These included border closures, financial restrictions, and the suspension of the electricity supply, all of which disrupted trade.
However, despite these restrictions, trade rebounded in 2024, reflecting a resilient demand for Nigerian products in Niger.
Nigeria’s top exports and imports from Niger
- Nigeria remains one of Niger’s biggest trading partners, supplying essential commodities including agricultural products, manufactured goods, and petroleum products. The NBS foreign trade report for Q4 2024 ranked Niger as one of Nigeria’s key trading partners within ECOWAS, stating, “Nigeria’s major trading import partner within ECOWAS was Ivory Coast (N41.40 billion), followed by Ghana (N22.96 billion), Liberia (N4.04 billion), Niger Republic (N2.62 billion), and Togo (N2.21 billion), representing 90.45% of total imports from the ECOWAS region.”
- Cigarettes emerged as a major Nigerian export to Niger, with N9.34 billion worth of cigarettes imported from Nigeria into Niger Republic in Q4 2024.
- Nigeria’s imports from Niger in Q4 2024 were largely agricultural and raw materials. Fresh or dried dates led the imports at N956.68 million, followed by cement (excluding white cement) at N919.07 million. The rise in cement imports signals increased infrastructure and construction activity in Nigeria. Other notable imports included fresh strawberries (N255.97 million), whole hides and skins (N125.65 million), and shelled pine nuts (N80.66 million), indicating demand for raw materials in Nigeria’s food processing and leather industries.
Nigeria’s trade with Mali and Burkina Faso sees strong growth
Nigeria’s trade with Mali and Burkina Faso also saw a notable increase in 2024, highlighting deepening economic ties with the two Sahel nations.
Total trade between Nigeria and Burkina Faso grew from N12.92 billion in 2023 to N18.26 billion in 2024, representing a 41.4% increase.
- Higher exports largely drove this growth, which climbed from N12.92 billion to N18.20 billion. Imports from Burkina Faso, though significantly smaller in volume, also rose sharply from N4.41 billion to N59.16 billion within the same period.
- Nigeria’s trade with Mali saw an even bigger surge, with total trade reaching N199.21 billion in 2024, up from just N12.57 billion in 2023. The most striking change was in Nigeria’s imports from Mali, which soared from N269.87 million in 2023 to N183.79 billion in 2024.
- This shift suggests a significant restructuring of trade patterns, possibly due to increased demand for Malian goods or new trade agreements. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s exports to Mali also rose from N12.30 billion in 2023 to N15.42 billion in 2024, maintaining steady growth.
- The sharp rise in trade with Burkina Faso and Mali comes amid the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a regional bloc established by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in September 2023.
The alliance, created through the Liptako-Gourma Charter, aims to enhance security cooperation among the three military-led governments following their departure from ECOWAS in January 2024.
