Nigeria’s Capital Importation Rockets 67% to $5.64 Billion in Q1 2025

Foreign capital inflows into Nigeria surged by 67.12% year‑on‑year in the first quarter of 2025, rising from $3.376 billion in Q1 2024 to $5.642 billion, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) nigerianstat.gov.ng+15vanguardngr.com+15vanguardngr.com+15. The economic momentum reflects renewed investor confidence and a stronger appetite for Nigerian assets.

Interestingly, Abuja displaced Lagos as the leading destination for capital importation during the period, indicating a shift in financial inflows distribution nigerianstat.gov.ng+1.

Experts believe the spike is driven by increased interest in portfolio investments and other short-term fund inflows, even as foreign direct investment (FDI) remained modest. The trend aligns with Nigeria’s broader efforts to attract foreign capital amid global financial tightening and domestic reforms.

Despite challenges like inflation and currency volatility, the sharp increase in Q1 inflow offers hope that external capital could fuel economic recovery and liquidity. However, analysts caution that sustainability will depend on stable policy, enhanced security, and continued reform momentum.

Upcoming capital importation trends will be closely watched, especially how they feed into the broader Q2 outlook and structural economic gains.