Nigeria’s FDI inflows rose to 4th in Africa after a 148% increase, while Egypt remained the continent’s top destination

Key Takeaways

Egypt remained Africa’s top FDI destination with $15.45bn.
Nigeria ranked 4th after FDI inflows rose 148% to $4.01bn.
Guinea had the biggest top-10 jump, rising 454% to $7.76bn.
Africa’s top 10 accounted for 73% of total FDI inflows.

Nigeria’s FDI inflows rose sharply in a year when Africa’s total was pulled down by Egypt’s decline.

Nigeria attracted $4.01 billion in foreign direct investment inflows in 2025, up from a revised $1.61 billion in 2024. That 148% increase pushed the country to 4th place in Africa, behind Egypt, Guinea and Mozambique.

Egypt remained the continent’s top FDI destination with $15.45 billion, despite a sharp fall from the previous year. Guinea followed with $7.76 billion, while Mozambique attracted $5.69 billion.

Africa’s total FDI inflows stood at $69.5 billion in 2025, down 26% from 2024, but the top 10 shows a mixed picture: Egypt declined, while Guinea, Nigeria, Morocco, Mozambique and Kenya recorded strong increases.

Source:

UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Period:

2025
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Europe, Asia, and the Americas have attracted a combined 94% of global foreign investment since 1990, leaving Africa and Oceania with just 6%
  • Europe ($12.58 trillion), Asia ($11.88 trillion), and the Americas ($11.49 trillion) are nearly tied after 35 years, each capturing roughly a third of global FDI
  • Asia grew from just $25 billion annually in 1990 to consistently attracting $600-700 billion per year, showing the most stable growth pattern
  • Major crises (2001, 2008-09, 2020, and 2022) caused dramatic swings, with Europe even recording negative flows in 2022
  • Africa and Oceania combined received just 6% of total FDI, remaining far behind despite Africa's recent acceleration to $97 billion in 2024
North Africa was the primary destination for FDI in 2024, attracting 52% of Africa's total FDI inflow
  • Africa attracted $97 billion in total FDI inflows in 2024.
  • North Africa dominated with $51 billion (52%), remaining the continent’s top foreign investment hub.
  • West Africa ranked second with $15 billion (15.3%).
  • East Africa secured $13 billion (13.3%).
  • Central Africa remained the least favoured, with only $8 billion (8.2%) in FDI inflows.
Nigeria’s share of Africa’s FDI collapsed from ~38% in 1994 to barely 1.1% in 2024
  • Nigeria’s FDI share plunged from 35% in 1990 to 1.1% in 2024.
  • Africa’s FDI surged over the same period, leaving Nigeria behind.
  • Q1 2025 inflow was only $126.3 million, showing persistent weakness.
  • Decline mirrors structural hurdles — unstable policies, forex issues, and weak infrastructure.
Nigeria recorded an impressive 822% growth in FDI inflows between 1999 and 2009, before gradually dropping back to $1.1B in 2024
  • FDI inflows in Nigeria peaked at $8.8 billion in 2011, marking the highest point in the Fourth Republic.
  • From 2011 to 2024, FDI inflows dropped, settling at $1.1 billion in 2024.
  • The early Fourth Republic (1999–2011) showed growth in FDI inflows.
  • FDI outflows rose from $0.2 billion in 1999 to $1.5 billion in 2009, reflecting gradual international expansion by Nigerian investors.
  • From 2015 onward, both inflows and outflows showed significant volatility, with no clear recovery trend.
Cape Verde’s FDI averaged over $68M annually over 34 years, with a record $170M in 2008 and a recent 54% drop from 2023 to 2024
  • Cape Verde attracted no foreign direct investment during the early 1990s, signalling limited investor interest at the time.
  • FDI inflows skyrocketed from $130M in 2006 to an all-time high of $170M in 2008, before stabilising above $100M for most of the 2010s.
  • The country experienced large swings, ranging from a high of $150M (2014) to lows of $50M (2020).
  • Despite recovering to $130M in 2023, inflows dropped sharply to $60M in 2024, the weakest figure in over a decade.
Zambia’s FDI rebounded to $1.24B in 2024 after sharp decline in 2022, attracted over $22B since 1990
  • Zambia recorded its highest-ever FDI inflow in 2013 at $2.10 billion.
  • After dipping to a negative inflow of -$0.07 billion in 2022, Zambia recovered to $1.24 billion in 2024.
  • The country experienced its first billion-dollar inflow in 2007, marking a turning point in foreign investment.
  • FDI inflow was consistently below $0.5 billion throughout the 1990s, indicating limited investor confidence during that period.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved