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.

Nigeria’s exports remain heavily reliant on oil, but non-oil exports are gaining traction. In 2024, non-oil contributions ranged from 6.9% in February to 16.4% in July, with double-digit shares maintained in the second half of the year. Early 2025 saw non-oil shares reach 18.1% in January and stay above 11% through June, highlighting gradual diversification beyond oil.

Source:

National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)

Period:

January 2024-June 2025
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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.

China’s exports to Nigeria increased by 40% in 2025
  • China’s exports to Nigeria increased by 40.4%,
  • China's exports moved from ₦ 14.1 trillion in 2024 to ₦ 19.8 trillion in 2025.
  • Growth was consistent across all four quarters.
  • Quarter 2 saw the highest growth at 80%, jumping from ₦3.0tn to ₦5.4tn.
  • Quarter 4 recorded a modest 4.3% rise.

Nigeria’s export mix stayed oil-heavy in 2025, with crude oil above 75% in all quarters
  • Crude oil dominated Nigeria’s exports in all quarters of 2025
  • Q1 recorded the highest oil dependency at 81.5%.
  • Non-oil exports peaked in Q2 at 24.2%, representing the strongest diversification point in 2025.
  • The oil share dropped to its lowest in Q2 (75.8%), but still remained dominant.

In 2025, Nigeria imported crude oil for the first time in the past decade, accounting for 11% of its total crude oil trade
Key takeaways:
  • Nigeria recorded its first crude oil imports in a decade in 2025, marking a structural shift in trade dynamics.
  • Imports accounted for 11% of total crude oil trade in 2025.
  • Total crude oil trade grew sharply from ₦7 trillion in 2016 to ₦53.2 trillion in 2025, indicating long-term expansion.
  • Exports remain dominant, contributing ₦47.4 trillion in 2025 despite the emergence of imports.
  • 2024 was the peak year for crude oil trade at ₦55.3 trillion, followed by a slight decline in 2025.
  • The 2020 dip of ₦9.4 trillion highlights vulnerability to global shocks, likely tied to oil price and demand disruptions.

Nigeria's petrol prices have surged 40% since the US/Israel-Iran War
  • Nigeria recorded the largest petrol price increase in Africa, rising 39.5% between February 23 and March 16, 2026.
  • Egypt experienced a 14.3% increase, making it one of the largest price jumps in Africa.
  • Nigeria’s increase is more than double that of Egypt.
  • A number of African countries recorded very small price changes, including Tanzania (2.7%), Morocco (2.1%), and South Africa (1%).
  • A few countries actually saw declines in fuel prices, including Madagascar (-3.9%) and Zambia (-4.6%).
  • During the period, petrol prices remained unchanged in 28 African countries.

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