China recorded a $17.8 billion trade surplus with Nigeria in 2023, as exports outpaced imports by a ratio of 8.5 to 1

Key Takeaways:

  • In 2023, China’s exports to Nigeria totaled $20.18 billion, while imports from Nigeria reached only $2.37 billion.
  • China’s trade surplus with Nigeria amounted to approximately $17.8 billion.
  • Chinese exports accounted for 89.5% of the total bilateral trade, with Nigerian exports making up just 10.5%.
  • The trade imbalance underscores Nigeria’s strong dependence on Chinese goods and industrial inputs.
  • For every $1 Nigeria exports to China, it imports $8.50 worth of Chinese products.

The 2023 trade dynamic between China and Nigeria revealed a significant imbalance in favour of China. China exported $20.18 billion in goods to Nigeria, representing 89.5% of the total trade volume. In contrast, Nigeria exported only $2.37 billion to China, just 10.5% of the total.

This resulted in a substantial trade surplus of nearly $17.8 billion for China. The disparity highlights Nigeria’s reliance on Chinese-manufactured products, machinery, and consumer goods, while primarily supplying raw materials in return.

Source:

Trading Economics, UN Comtrade

Period:

2023
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Tags
Related Insights

The U.S. consistently leads Nigeria’s imports from the Americas, accounting for 57–73% in 13 years
  • The U.S. consistently leads Nigeria’s imports from the Americas, accounting for 57–73% between 2013 and 2025.
  • Brazil ranks second, with shares ranging between 11% and 24%, highlighting its steady trade ties with Nigeria.
  • During the period, the combined share of the U.S. and Brazil never fell below 76%, even at its lowest point in 2022.
  • Total imports from the Americas surged from ₦0.9 trillion in 2013 to a peak of ₦6.3 trillion in 2024.
  • Canada’s import share peaked at 16.4% in 2022, showing a rare moment of diversification.

Nigeria's H1 trade: Imports from ECOWAS countries rose from 12% in H1 2021 to a peak of nearly 40% in H1 2024
  • Imports from ECOWAS countries peaked at 39.9% in H1 2024, up from just 12.0% in H1 2021.
  • The share declined to 32.4% in H1 2025, showing a reversal after the 2024 peak.
  • Total import values grew sharply, from ₦209.6B in H1 2020 to ₦1.8T in H1 2025.
  • In H1 2019, ECOWAS already had a decent share of 19.6%, showing long-standing but fluctuating trade ties.

The ECOWAS share of Nigerian exports to African countries nearly doubled, from 34.2% to 62.1%
  • ECOWAS’ share of Nigerian exports rose from 34.2% in H1 2019 to 62.1% in H1 2025.
  • The most significant share came in H1 2022, when ECOWAS accounted for 75.8% of exports.
  • Exports to other African countries dropped significantly in 2022, to just 24.2%.
  • Nigeria’s total exports to Africa grew from ₦0.9T in H1 2022 to ₦4.8T in H1 2025.
  • ECOWAS consistently maintained a majority share from H1 2022 onwards, with a share above 60%.

Nigeria’s exports remain oil-dominated, but non-oil exports are steadily rising—reaching up to 18% in early 2025
  • Oil exports continued to dominate, averaging over 88% of total exports in 2024 and remaining above 81% in the first half of 2025.
  • Non-oil exports rose gradually, from a low of 6.9% (February 2024) to a high of 18.1% (January 2025).
  • Peaks in non-oil export contributions occurred in July 2024 (16.4%) and January–April 2025 (13–18%), indicating progress toward diversification.
  • Total exports remained heavily oil-driven, though sustained double-digit non-oil shares in late 2024 and early 2025 show a slow shift.

After a decline from 13.1% in 2019, the non-oil export share grew by 5.6 percentage points, from 8.7% (2023) to 14.3% (2025)
  • Non-oil exports rose to 14.3% of total exports in 2025, up from 8.7% in 2023.
  • Oil exports still represent 85.7% of total exports in 2025.
  • The non-oil share reached 13.1% in 2019 before dipping and rebounding by 2025.
  • Nigeria’s total exports expanded from ₦9.6 trillion in 2015 to ₦43.3 trillion in H1 2025, showing strong value growth.
  • The lowest non-oil share in the decade occurred in 2016 (4%), reflecting heavy oil dependence.

China dominates Nigeria’s imports while Spain leads as top export destination in Q2 2025
  • China remains Nigeria’s largest import partner, accounting for ₦4.96T or 32.45% of total imports—more than double the U.S.'s share.
  • The United States holds second place in imports, contributing ₦2.16T (14.12%), while India, the Netherlands, and the UAE follow with smaller shares below 6%.
  • Spain tops Nigeria’s export market, receiving ₦2.47T worth of goods, representing 10.85% of total exports.
  • Europe features strongly among export partners, with Spain, France, and the Netherlands together absorbing nearly a quarter of Nigeria’s outbound trade.

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