For most of the period (2013-H1 2025), China's share of Nigeria's imports from Asia hovers around 50%-55%, showing dominance

  • China has dominated Nigeria’s imports from Asia, maintaining a 50–55% share for most of the period.
  • China’s share reached its highest level at 58.6% in H1 2025.
  • India's import share remained volatile, ranging between 11% and 25%.
  • Total imports from Asia surged from ₦2.6 trillion in 2013 to ₦16.4 trillion in H1 2025.

China continues to dominate Nigeria’s import relationship with Asia, maintaining a steady lead over the past decade. From 2013 to H1 2025, China consistently accounted for around 50%–55% of Nigeria’s total imports from the region, reaching a new high of 58.6% in H1 2025. This long-term dominance highlights China’s strong foothold in Nigeria’s trade structure, a result of deep economic ties built on affordable manufactured goods, machinery, electronics, and construction materials. In contrast, other Asian countries like India and Japan hold smaller but notable shares, reflecting a more diversified but uneven import mix within Asia.

Source:

National Bureau of Statistics

Period:

2013 - H1 2025
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  • Nigeria recorded a ₦21.03 trillion trade surplus in 2025, the highest in the period shown.
  • The trade surplus remained strong at ₦7.55 trillion in Q1 2026.
  • The latest performance marks a sharp recovery from the deficits recorded in 2020 and 2021.
  • Nigeria’s trade balance moved from near zero in 2023 to large surpluses in 2024 and 2025.

Nigeria's non-oil exports grew faster than oil exports in 2024 and 2025, though oil remained dominant
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  • In 2024, non-oil exports grew by 189% vs oil’s 108%.
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  • Export value rose from ₦36 trillion in 2023 to ₦85.1 trillion in 2025.

Nigeria imported 10x more from Asia than from Africa in 2025
  • Asia is Nigeria’s top import source in 2025.
  • The highest import value from Asia was recorded in Q1 at ₦8.7 trillion.
  • Imports from Europe surged to ₦8.6 trillion in Q2 but declined to ₦6.6 trillion by Q4.
  • Imports from America showed continuous growth, rising from ₦2.9 trillion in Q1 to ₦6.6 trillion in Q4.
  • Imports from Africa remained below ₦1 trillion across most quarters.

China’s exports to Nigeria increased by 40% in 2025
  • China’s exports to Nigeria increased by 40.4%,
  • China's exports moved from ₦ 14.1 trillion in 2024 to ₦ 19.8 trillion in 2025.
  • Growth was consistent across all four quarters.
  • Quarter 2 saw the highest growth at 80%, jumping from ₦3.0tn to ₦5.4tn.
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Nigeria’s export mix stayed oil-heavy in 2025, with crude oil above 75% in all quarters
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  • Q1 recorded the highest oil dependency at 81.5%.
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  • The oil share dropped to its lowest in Q2 (75.8%), but still remained dominant.

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