Nigeria’s import trade in the fourth quarter of 2025 remained heavily concentrated among a small group of countries, demonstrating the nation’s continued reliance on foreign suppliers for a wide range of essential products.
Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that Nigeria’s total imports reached N17.25 trillion during the period, reflecting the scale of demand for foreign goods ranging from petroleum products and vehicles to industrial machinery, food items and industrial raw materials.
While Asia and Europe dominate Nigeria’s global import structure, trade flows within Africa also showed notable concentration.
Only a handful of African countries accounted for the bulk of Nigeria’s imports from the continent during the quarter.
According to the NBS data, Ghana, South Africa, and Egypt emerged as Nigeria’s leading African trading partners on the import side in the final quarter of 2025, highlighting growing commercial links within the continent amid the ongoing implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Below is a breakdown of the top 10 African countries from which Nigeria imported goods in Q4 2025.
Ghana emerged as Nigeria’s largest African source of imports in the fourth quarter of 2025, with goods valued at N150.96 billion.
The imports were dominated by crude petroleum oils valued at N92.67 billion, followed by cocoa powder with added sugar worth N41.33 billion.
Other items included crude palm oil, margarine, and infant food preparations.
Ghana’s strong position in Nigeria’s African import structure highlights the growing trade ties between the two West African economies.
Growing Intra-African Trade
The data underscores the expanding but still uneven pattern of intra-African trade, where a relatively small group of countries dominate export flows to Nigeria.
Analysts note that initiatives under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could gradually deepen trade integration across the continent by lowering tariffs, harmonizing standards, and improving logistics networks.
However, Nigeria’s continued dependence on imports—even from within Africa—for petroleum products, food ingredients, industrial inputs, and vehicles highlights persistent gaps in domestic production capacity.
