After the 2020 crash, US-Nigeria trade value climbed to $10B+ in 2024

Key Takeaways: 

  • The US' trade deficit with Nigeria narrowed significantly, shifting from a $5.14 billion deficit in 2017 to a $1.69 billion surplus in 2024.
  • US goods exports to Nigeria reached $4.2 billion in 2024, representing a 92% increase from the $2.2 billion recorded in 2017.
  • US goods imports from Nigeria totalled $5.9 billion in 2024, a 20% decrease from the $7.3 billion recorded in 2017.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted bilateral trade in 2020, but both imports and exports began recovering steadily from 2021 onwards.
  • By 2024, trade had rebounded substantially, with US imports from Nigeria reaching $5.87 billion and exports to Nigeria reaching $4.17 billion.
  • Despite experiencing persistent trade deficits from 2017 through most of the period, the US achieved trade surpluses with Nigeria in 2020 and 2021.
  • Total goods trade between the US and Nigeria ranged from $4 billion to approximately $10 billion.

Between 2017 and 2024, US–Nigeria trade relations underwent notable changes shaped by global economic shifts, most prominently the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2017, the US' imports from Nigeria stood at a peak of $7.3 billion but plummeted to just $1.55 billion by 2020 due to pandemic-related disruptions.

The US' imports from Nigeria have steadily increased, reaching $5.87 billion by 2024. Simultaneously, its exports to Nigeria have demonstrated exceptional resilience and growth, expanding from $2.17 billion in 2017 to $4.17 billion in 2024.

Overall, total goods trade between the two nations ranged from $4 billion during the pandemic's peak to nearly $10 billion by 2024. The trade balance has shifted dramatically in the United States' favour during this period. The trade balance that began as a substantial $5.14 billion deficit for the US in 2017 narrowed to just $1.7 billion by 2024, with the US even achieving trade surpluses in 2020 and 2021.

Source:

United Nations COMTRADE

Period:

2017-2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
South Africa, Egypt and Morocco accounted for nearly 40% ($313b) of Africa’s merchandise imports in 2025
  • Africa imported merchandise worth $788.9 billion in 2025, representing about 3% of global merchandise imports.
  • South Africa was Africa’s largest merchandise importer, with imports valued at $128.1 billion.
  • Egypt ranked second at $97.5 billion, followed by Morocco at $87.4 billion.
  • The three largest importers accounted for $313 billion, or 39.7% of Africa’s total merchandise imports.
  • South Africa alone accounted for about 16.2% of the continental total.
  • The five largest importers, including Algeria and Nigeria, were responsible for $404.6 billion, or 51.3% of Africa’s imports.
  • Nigeria ranked fifth, with merchandise imports valued at $41.5 billion.
Africa has never sold more than 20% of its goods exports within the continent in three decades
  • Only 16.9% of Africa’s merchandise exports were sold to other African countries in 2024.
  • Africa had the second-lowest intra-continental export share, ahead only of Oceania’s 4.8%.
  • Europe recorded the highest share at 65.6%, followed by Asia at 58.4% and the Americas at 54.0%.
  • Europe’s intra-continental export share was nearly four times Africa’s.
  • Africa’s share increased from 12.1% in 1995 to 16.9% in 2024, a rise of 4.8 percentage points.
  • Despite this long-term improvement, Africa remained below its 2015 peak of 18.8%.
  • Africa has not crossed the 20% mark at any point in the three decades covered.
South Africa accounted for nearly $1 in every $6 Africa earned from merchandise exports in 2025
  • Africa’s merchandise exports reached $689.2 billion in 2025.
  • Exports grew by 9.7%, the fastest rate outside Asia.
  • Africa accounted for just 2.6% of global merchandise exports.
  • South Africa led with $116.4 billion, followed by Nigeria and Egypt.
  • The top 15 economies generated 79.3% of Africa’s exports.
Nigeria's trade surplus hit a record ₦21.0tn in 2025 and remained strong in Q1 2026
  • 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
  • In 2025, non-oil export growth (36%) was 6x higher than oil (6%).
  • In 2024, non-oil exports grew by 189% vs oil’s 108%.
  • Total exports still heavily depend on oil.
  • 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.
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