Nigeria's manufactured goods trade is overwhelmingly import-dependent, with imports consistently exceeding 85% since 2017

Imports have consistently exceeded 85% of Nigeria's manufactured goods trade since 2017.
In H1 2025, imports accounted for 93.3% of the total ₦16.5 trillion trade.
Nigeria’s export share in the manufactured goods trade was only 6.7% in H1 2025.
The highest export share in the past eight years was 14.8% in 2019.
Total manufactured goods trade grew from ₦4.9 trillion in 2017 to ₦29.1 trillion in 2024.

Nigeria’s trade in manufactured goods continues to highlight a profound structural imbalance in its industrial and trade composition.

Since 2017, the country’s manufactured goods trade has been overwhelmingly import-dependent, with imports consistently accounting for over 85% of total trade. In the first half of 2025, imports accounted for 93.3% of the total manufactured goods trade, while exports accounted for just 6.7%.

This persistent dominance of imports reveals Nigeria’s heavy reliance on foreign manufacturing to meet domestic demand, underlining the country’s limited local production and export capacity for finished goods.

Source:

National Bureau of Statistics

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://intelpoint.co/insights/nigerias-manufactured-goods-trade-is-overwhelmingly-import-dependent-with-imports-consistently-exceeding-85-since-2017/" title="Nigeria&#039;s manufactured goods trade is overwhelmingly import-dependent, with imports consistently exceeding 85% since 2017"><img src="https://intelpoint.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/nigeria-manufactured-goods-trade-imports-vs-exports-2017-h1-2025-68fd13307d2bb-scaled.webp" style="width: 80%; height: auto; max-width:960px;-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; margin: 0 auto; display: block;" alt="Chart: Nigeria's manufactured goods trade is overwhelmingly import-dependent, with imports consistently exceeding 85% since 2017"/></a><br><span>Find more insights at <a href="https://intelpoint.co/insights?utm_source=Insight%20Embed&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=Nigeria%27s+manufactured+goods+trade+is+overwhelmingly+import-dependent%2C+with+imports+consistently+exceeding+85%25+since+2017" target="_blank" style="color: #4f9acc; text-decoration: none;">Intelpoint</a>.</span></div>Copied to clipboard!

Period:

2017 - H1 2025

HTML code to embed chart

Want a bespoke report?

Reach out

Related Insights

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.
Between 2022 and 2024, the import share dropped significantly from 75.7% to 46.0%.

Crude oil imports in Nigeria emerged in H1 2025 (the first since 2017), capturing a 10.2% share of the total crude oil trade

Crude oil imports into Nigeria in H1 2025 marked the first occurrence since 2017.
Crude oil imports accounted for 10.2% of total crude oil trade.
From 2017 to 2024, exports made up 100% of crude oil trade annually.
Total crude oil trade peaked at ₦55.3 trillion in 2024.
The emergence of crude oil imports can be linked to domestic refinery operations, especially the Dangote Refinery.

Asia and Europe (combined) have consistently represented over 70% of Nigeria's total imports since 2013

Asia and Europe have consistently represented over 70% of Nigeria’s imports since 2013.
Asia’s share of imports reached a record 53.5% in H1 2025.
Europe contributed 23.1% of total imports in H1 2025.
Imports from the American region averaged between 10%–14% over the period.
Africa’s import share remained below 10%, showing limited regional trade.

The Netherlands held the largest share of Nigeria's imports from Europe for most of the period, averaging 20% of annual imports

The Netherlands has mostly been the top European import source, with Nigeria averaging 20% of annual imports from the region.
Netherlands' highest share of Nigeria's imports was 27.9% in 2018.
The United Kingdom consistently contributed around 5–15% of Nigeria’s European imports.
Germany’s share remained relatively stable at 5–10% over the years.
France, Italy, and Spain maintained smaller shares, mostly under 7%.

Nigeria's imports of food and beverage have grown in value by 265% since 2020, reaching ₦6.6T in 2024

Nigeria’s food and beverage imports increased almost ninefold, from ₦0.7 trillion in 2013 to ₦6.6 trillion in 2024.
Imports remained relatively stable between 2015 and 2019, averaging around ₦1.1–₦1.6 trillion.
A major spike occurred in 2021, when imports surged by 62%, reaching ₦2.9 trillion.
Overall, the trend underscores Nigeria’s ongoing challenge of reducing dependency on imported food and beverages despite policies aimed at self-sufficiency.

Fuels and lubricants dominated 2024 imports, accounting for 37.4% (₦22.7T) of the total ₦60.6T

Nigeria imported a total of ₦60.6 trillion worth of goods in 2024.
Fuels and lubricants dominated imports with ₦22.7 trillion (37.4%).
Industrial supplies accounted for ₦13.4 trillion (22.1%), showing strong demand for production inputs.
Capital goods and parts represented ₦9.1 trillion (15%).
Food and beverage imports reached ₦6.6 trillion (10.9%), signalling a high reliance on external food sources.