Nigeria recorded a sharp rise in foreign capital inflows in the first nine months of 2025, with total importation climbing 132.27 per cent to $16.77 billion, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The $16.77 billion inflow between January and September 2025 compares with:
- $7.22 billion in the same period two years earlier
- $3.90 billion in the same period of 2023
- $12.32 billion for the full year 2024
The nine-month total for 2025 has already exceeded the entire 2024 figure.
Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) accounted for the largest share of inflows:
- $14.25 billion in nine months
- Up 226.09 per cent year-on-year
In contrast, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) totalled:
- $565.21 million over the same period
Sector breakdown (Q3 2025)
- Banking sector: $3.14 billion (52.25% of total inflows)
- Financing sector: $1.85 billion
Country sources of capital
- United Kingdom: $2.93 billion (48.80% of total inflows)
- United States: $950.47 million
Top recipient banks (Q3 2025)
- Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited – $2.11 billion
- Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc – $1.78 billion
- Citibank Nigeria Limited – $561.40 million
The data show that portfolio flows remain the dominant driver of foreign capital entering Nigeria, accounting for the vast majority of the $16.77 billion recorded in the period under review.
