Nigeria’s finance and insurance sector paid 119.6% more tax to the government in 2023

In 2023, businesses in Nigeria's finance and insurance sector paid ₦458.8 billion as taxes to the government, 119.6% more than in 2022.

Those in the manufacturing sector also increased their payments and remain the top tax-paying sector in the country.
Here are the top five sectors where businesses paid the most tax in 2023.

Source:

National Bureau of Statistics

Period:

2023
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Nigerian states with the largest increase in FAAC allocations
  • Nigeria's 36 states received a combined ₦4.14 trillion in FAAC allocations in Jan-May 2026, up ₦735.4 billion (21.6%) from a year earlier.
  • Thirty-five states received higher allocations than a year earlier, while Rivers was the only state to record a decline (₦7.15 billion).
  • Lagos recorded the largest increase in FAAC allocations (₦119.5 billion), more than three times the increase recorded by Oyo (₦38.3 billion).
  • Oyo, Kano, Borno, and Jigawa rounded out the top five states with the largest increases in FAAC allocations.

Ethiopia achieved Africa’s fastest growth in real GDP per person over the 25 years to 2025
  • Ethiopia recorded Africa's fastest real GDP per capita growth between 2000 and 2025.
  • Rwanda ranked second, while Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Djibouti completed the top five.
  • Ethiopia's real GDP per capita rose 322%, from $910 to $3,843.
  • Mauritius recorded Africa's largest absolute gain in real GDP per capita.
  • Nigeria ranked 15th, with real GDP per capita increasing 76.7%.

Holding companies accounted for nearly 68% of Nigeria’s US direct investment balance in 2025
  • Nigeria held Africa’s fourth-largest US direct investment balance in 2025, at $4.56 billion.
  • The balance fell by $1.98 billion from $6.54 billion in 2024, a decline of 30.3%.
  • Nonbank holding companies accounted for $3.08 billion, or 67.7% of Nigeria’s total balance.
  • Manufacturing represented $552 million, or 12.1%, while other industries accounted for $921 million.
  • Holding-company assets may ultimately be deployed in other sectors, so the classification does not show their final use.

US direct investment balance in Africa fell to $37.9 billion in 2025, its lowest since 2008
  • US direct investment in Africa peaked at $69 billion in 2014 after expanding rapidly from the mid-2000s.
  • By 2025, the balance had fallen 45.1% from its peak to $37.9 billion, its lowest since 2008.
  • Mining drove the cycle, accounting for 88% of the 2010–2014 increase and 97% of the subsequent decline.
  • Africa’s share of the global US direct investment balance remained below 3% throughout 1985–2025.
  • The post-2014 decline was interrupted by brief recoveries in 2017 and 2021–2022.

The top ten countries held 98% of Africa’s US direct investment balance in 2025
  • Mauritius held Africa’s largest US direct investment balance in 2025, at $8.4 billion.
  • South Africa followed with $7.9 billion, ahead of Egypt’s $6.7 billion and Nigeria’s $4.6 billion.
  • Africa’s total balance fell by 8.4% to $37.91 billion, its third consecutive annual decline.
  • The top ten countries held 98% of Africa’s total, leaving only $0.7 billion across the rest.
  • Manufacturing led South Africa’s balance, mining dominated Egypt’s, and holding companies accounted for most of Nigeria’s.

South Africa and Egypt accounted for a third of Africa’s estimated $1.93tn government debt in 2025
  • Government debt across 51 African countries was estimated at $1.93 trillion in 2025.
  • South Africa and Egypt had the largest estimated stocks and jointly accounted for 33.8% of the total.
  • Sudan had the highest debt-to-GDP ratio at 187.6%, followed by Senegal at 130.2%.
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