Nigeria recorded about $21 billion in capital importation in the first 10 months of 2025, marking a significant recovery from $12 billion in 2024 and less than $4 billion in 2023, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole has said.
Oduwole disclosed the figures on Wednesday while presenting the ministry’s 2026 budget proposal before the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Commerce, Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Capital importation refers to foreign funds brought into the country to finance investments, trade and manufacturing activities.
The minister attributed the sharp rise in inflows to coordinated policy implementation and investor-focused reforms.
“In 2025, the ministry focused on translating policy into real economic activity through greater coordination, engagement and practical facilitation,” she said.
According to Oduwole, the ministry curated more than $5 billion in bankable projects, established sector-specific deal rooms, hosted Nigeria’s first domestic investors’ summit, and resolved about 50 investor bottlenecks.
“These activities helped re-engage domestic capital and facilitated the resolution of about 50 investor bottlenecks, driving projects from intention to implementation,” she added.
She also revealed that the ministry conducted over 100 bilateral investment engagements during the year, covering both longstanding and new partners, including the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Oduwole noted that the Nigeria-UK Economic and Trade Partnership, launched in the second quarter of 2024, played a key role in boosting inflows, with UK investors accounting for roughly 65 percent of Nigeria’s foreign capital inflows in 2025.
On trade performance, the minister said Nigeria posted a trade surplus during the year. Total trade volume reached approximately N113 trillion in the first three quarters, while exports rose about 11 percent year-on-year to $6.1 billion, the highest level recorded in both value and volume.
Looking ahead, Oduwole said the ministry’s 2026 agenda will be anchored on the national development plan and three core policy frameworks: Nigeria’s Trade Policy (2023–2027), Nigerian Investment Policy (2023–2027), and Nigerian Industrial Policy (2025–2035).
She said the focus will remain on deepening industrialisation, expanding non-oil exports and strengthening the country’s overall investment climate.
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