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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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.

Africa’s share of global oil consumption has stayed below 5% for six decades
  • Global oil consumption rose from about 30.9 million barrels per day in 1965 to 101.4 million barrels per day in 2024, more than tripling over the period.
  • Asia Pacific saw the biggest structural shift in global oil demand, increasing its share from 10.7% in 1965 to 37.9% in 2024 to become the world’s largest oil-consuming region.
  • Africa accounted for just 1.9% of global oil consumption in 1965 and 4.5% in 2024, staying below 5% for nearly 60 years.
  • The global centre of oil demand has gradually shifted away from Western economies toward Asia, reflecting industrialisation, urbanisation, and population growth across the region.
  • Africa’s modest share of global oil demand highlights the continent’s relatively low industrial energy consumption despite rapid population growth.

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.

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