Manufactured goods drove imports as oil products pushed total to ₦15.29 trillion in Q2 2025

Key Takeaways

  • ₦7.88 trillion worth of manufactured goods made up 51.6% of imports, underscoring Nigeria’s dependence on foreign industrial products.
  • Other petroleum oil products accounted for ₦2.79 trillion (18.2%) of imports, showing continued reliance on external energy supplies despite Nigeria’s oil-rich status.
  • ₦1.72 trillion in raw material imports (11.3%) highlights the gap in local processing capacity.
  • Solid minerals (₦70.9 bn, 0.46%) and energy goods (₦150 mn, almost 0%) show almost no role in imports.

Nigeria’s import profile in Q2 2025 highlights a strong dependence on manufactured goods, which accounted for more than half of the total ₦15.29 trillion import bill. Despite being an oil producer, the country still imported ₦2.79 trillion worth of petroleum products and ₦1.64 trillion worth of crude oil, reflecting deep infrastructure gaps in refining and broader energy security challenges.

The reliance on raw material imports (₦1.72 trillion) also points to underdeveloped domestic industries that could otherwise add value locally. Meanwhile, categories like solid minerals (₦70.9 bn) and energy goods (₦150 mn) contributed little to the overall import basket.

Overall, the data paints a picture of an economy still heavily reliant on external markets for manufactured and refined goods, signalling opportunities for industrial growth, local refining capacity, and raw material processing as pathways to reduce the trade imbalance.

Source:

National Bureau of Statistics

Period:

Q2 2025
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For most of the period (2013-H1 2025), China's share of Nigeria's imports from Asia hovers around 50%-55%, showing dominance
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  • 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.

Nigeria's agricultural imports' share has been dropping, from 83.9% (2017) to a low of 42.9% (H1 2025)
  • Agricultural imports fell from 83.9% in 2017 to 42.9% in H1 2025, indicating a significant decline in import dependency.
  • Agricultural exports grew from 16.1% in 2017 to 54.0% in 2024, surpassing imports for the first time since 2017.
  • Total agricultural trade increased from ₦1.1 trillion in 2017 to ₦8.2 trillion in 2024.
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Crude oil imports in Nigeria emerged in H1 2025 (the first since 2017), capturing a 10.2% share of the total crude oil trade
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Asia and Europe (combined) have consistently represented over 70% of Nigeria's total imports since 2013
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  • Africa’s import share remained below 10%, showing limited regional trade.

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