Capital importation into Nigeria rose to $5.64 billion in the first quarter of 2025, according to the latest report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The NBS disclosed this in its Q1 2025 Nigeria Capital Importation Report, released in Abuja.
The figure represents a 67.12% increase compared to the $3.38 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2024. It also marks a 10.86% rise from the $5.09 billion posted in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The bulk of the inflow came from Portfolio Investment, which contributed $5.2 billion or 92.25% of total capital imported.
This was followed by Other Investments at $311.17 million (5.52%), while Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) recorded the least at $126.29 million (2.24%).
By sector, the Banking industry attracted the highest capital with $3.13 billion (55.44%), followed by the Financing sector at $2.1 billion (37.18%), and the Production/Manufacturing sector with $129.92 million (2.3%).
The United Kingdom remained the top source of capital, contributing $3.68 billion or 65.26% of total inflows. It was trailed by South Africa with $501.29 million (8.88%) and Mauritius with $394.51 million (6.99%).
In terms of destination, Abuja (FCT) led the pack with $3.05 billion (54.11%) of the capital inflow, followed by Lagos State with $2.56 billion (45.44%). Ogun, Oyo, and Kaduna states received $7.95 million, $7.81 million, and $4.06 million, respectively.
Among financial institutions, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Ltd recorded the highest capital importation with $2.1 billion (37.29%). It was followed by Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc with $1.4 billion (24.78%) and Citibank Nigeria Ltd with $1.05 billion (18.66%).
The NBS noted that the strong performance was driven by increased investor confidence and a favourable investment climate in Nigeria.
