Nigeria’s import bill from Europe declined by N5.36 trillion in 2025, even as the country’s total imports rose by N6.76 trillion year-on-year, according to the latest foreign trade statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Data shows that imports from Europe fell from N22.80 trillion in 2024 to N17.44 trillion in 2025, reflecting a significant contraction in trade flows with the region.
This decline is more pronounced when viewed against Nigeria’s overall import expansion, with total imports rising from N60.59 trillion to N67.35 trillion within the same period.
As a result, Europe’s share of Nigeria’s total imports dropped sharply from 37.63% in 2024 to 25.90% in 2025, signalling a major shift in the country’s sourcing pattern.
What the data shows
Country-level data shows that the decline in European imports was not uniform, with some countries recording strong growth while others experienced sharp contractions.
- Imports from the Netherlands increased by N1.04 trillion, rising from N2.31 trillion in 2024 to N3.35 trillion in 2025, making it the fastest-growing European trade partner in the period under review.
- The United Kingdom also recorded a significant increase of N794.77 billion, with imports rising to N1.83 trillion. Similarly, Italy posted strong growth of N884.79 billion, with import values climbing from N944.01 billion to N1.83 trillion.
- In contrast, imports from France declined sharply by N760.08 billion to N895.80 billion, while Spain recorded a drop of N414.17 billion to N1.05 trillion.
- Germany saw a marginal decline of N4.32 billion, indicating relatively stable trade flows but no meaningful expansion.
Nairametrics further observed that the most significant driver of the decline was the “Others” category, which captures imports from smaller European economies.
- Imports from these countries plunged from N14.13 trillion in 2024 to N1.56 trillion in 2025, representing a massive drop of N12.57 trillion year-on-year.
This single category accounted for more than twice the total decline recorded in Europe-bound imports, suggesting a major disruption or realignment in Nigeria’s trade flows with several European countries.
The scale of the drop indicates that Nigeria significantly reduced its dependence on a broad range of European suppliers, consolidating imports into fewer, more strategic partners.
What you should know
The sharp drop in Europe’s share of total imports, from 37.63% to 25.90%, highlights a structural shift in Nigeria’s trade dynamics.
- With total imports increasing by N6.76 trillion, the decline in Europe’s contribution indicates that a significant portion of Nigeria’s import demand has shifted to other regions.
- This trend is consistent with Nigeria’s growing reliance on non-European markets, particularly Asian economies, which offer more competitive pricing, flexible supply chains, and a wider range of manufactured goods.
The rebalancing of Nigeria’s import structure carries important implications for the economy.
- On one hand, diversification away from Europe may reduce concentration risks and lower import costs, especially for consumer and intermediate goods.
- On the other hand, reduced imports from Europe could impact access to high-value capital goods and specialised industrial inputs traditionally sourced from the region.
Overall, the data signals an ongoing transition in Nigeria’s global trade positioning, with Europe gradually losing dominance as Nigeria shifts towards alternative import partners.
