Nigeria’s Capital Importation Soars 380% to $6.01 Billion in Q3 2025
According to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria witnessed a dramatic surge in capital importation during the third quarter of 2025. Total inflows reached $6.01 billion, marking an extraordinary 380.16% increase compared to the $1.25 billion recorded in the same quarter of 2024. This figure also represents a 17.46% rise from the $5.12 billion imported in the preceding quarter of 2025, signaling sustained and growing investor interest in the Nigerian economy.
Investment Composition and Sectoral Dominance
The influx was overwhelmingly driven by portfolio investment, which accounted for $4.85 billion or 80.70% of the total. Other investments contributed $864.57 million (14.37%), while Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) recorded a comparatively modest inflow of $296.25 million, representing 4.93%. A sectoral analysis reveals the banking industry as the primary beneficiary, attracting $3.14 billion or 52.25% of the total capital. This was followed by the financing sector with $1.86 billion (30.85%) and the production and manufacturing sector with $261.35 million (4.35%). The data underscores the continued foreign investor focus on Nigeria’s financial markets.
Leading Financial Institutions and Annual Context
At the institutional level, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited received the highest inflow at $2.12 billion, constituting 35.17% of the Q3 total. Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc followed with $1.79 billion (29.75%), and Citibank Nigeria Limited with $561.40 million (9.33%). This quarterly performance contributes to a strong annual trend. Earlier in the year, Q1 2025 saw inflows of $5.6 billion, while Q2 2025 recorded $5.12 billion. The cumulative total for the first three quarters stands at $16.73 billion based on NBS data. In a related development, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, recently disclosed that Nigeria recorded $21 billion in capital importation in the first ten months of 2025, a figure she presented during her ministry’s 2026 budget defence. This context is crucial as authorities like the police insist no effort will be spared in maintaining a secure investment climate, just as the NDLEA arrests in Lagos and discussions around the EFCC’s revoked policies highlight the ongoing institutional efforts to shape the economic environment. The overall rebound in investor confidence remains a key narrative for the nation’s growth, even as other national conversations, such as those concerning Nnamdi Kanu’s new legal developments, continue independently.
