Mineral fuels, oils, and distillation products accounted for 43.65% of the US' total export to Nigeria

Key Takeaways:

  • Mineral fuels and oils led the US' exports to Nigeria at $1.82B, making up over 43% of the total.
  • Vehicles and automotive parts followed at $677.65 million, with machinery and nuclear reactors contributing $487.23 million.
  • Total US exports to Nigeria reached $4.17 billion in 2024.
  • The top 10 export categories made up 90.7% of the total export value.
  • The top three US export categories to Nigeria accounted for nearly 72% of total exports.

In 2024, the United States exported goods valued at $4.17 billion to Nigeria. Energy products (mineral fuels and oils) took the lead with $1.82 billion. The automotive sector followed with vehicles and parts worth $677.65 million, while machinery and nuclear reactors contributed $487.23 million.

Other notable exports from the United States to Nigeria included plastics, cereals, electronic equipment, aircraft, and medical apparatus, reflecting a diverse trade portfolio.

Source:

USA Trade Online - U.S. Census Bureau

Period:

2024
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Ghana’s exports

  • Gold bullion dominates exports, contributing ¢163.0B (55.3%) of total exports.

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  • Manganese, cashew, tuna, iron/steel, and shea oil are niche contributors, each under 2% of exports.

  • All other products still make up a significant 14.4% (¢42.4B), showing potential for export diversification.
Apapa Port accounted for 71.6% of Nigeria’s total trade value in Q1 2025 and 86.12% of total exports
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  • Apapa Port handled ₦25.79 trillion worth of goods in Q1 2025, representing 71.6% of total trade. It remains the country’s primary trade hub, far surpassing all other ports combined.
  •  Apapa alone facilitated ₦17.74 trillion or 86.1% of Nigeria’s total exports, showing a high dependency on a single location for outbound goods.
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  • Lekki has limited export impact, despite handling ₦1.70 trillion in imports. Lekki contributed only ₦0.30 trillion (1.5%) in exports, indicating underutilization for outbound trade.
  • Murtala Muhammed International Airport processed just ₦647.91 billion (1.8%) of total trade, reinforcing that Nigeria’s international trade remains heavily maritime-focused.
Nigeria’s foreign trade
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  • Crude oil dominates Nigeria’s export trade, accounting for the largest share of export revenue. -
  • Other petroleum oil products are also a major export item, reflecting the significance of both raw and refined oil-based commodities in Nigeria’s trade portfolio. -
  • On the import side, manufactured goods dominate, showing Nigeria’s continued reliance on foreign machinery, technology, and consumer goods.
  • While Nigeria exports mostly raw and oil-based products, it imports refined, processed, or industrial goods, indicating a structural trade gap and limited local industrial capacity. -
  • Agricultural and raw material goods feature on both sides of trade, but their value is significantly less than petroleum-related trade.
China topped Nigeria’s import sources with ₦4.66 trillion, while India led the export destinations with ₦2.84 trillion in Q1 2025
  • India is Nigeria’s largest export destination Nigeria exported ₦2.84 trillion worth of goods to India in Q1 2025, driven largely by crude oil.
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  • The United States appears on both sides. Nigeria exports ₦1.54 trillion to the US and imports ₦1.42 trillion, showing a relatively balanced trade relationship.
  • European countries are major export Partners Netherlands (₦2.30T), France (₦1.44T), and Spain (₦1.44T) are prominent export destinations, indicating strong demand for Nigerian crude oil and other commodities in Europe.
  • UAE barely makes the import list. The UAE closes out the top import list at ₦0.61 trillion, showing relatively lower trade volume compared to others, but still significant enough to be in the top 5.
Cocoa led Nigeria’s agricultural exports by value in Q1 2025, with over ₦1.2B
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  • Other top suppliers included India ($20.6M), Germany ($15.4M), and South Korea ($16.5M).
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  • Mirror data reflects only officially reported trade and excludes informal or undocumented imports.
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