Blog Details

Nigeria’s import bill from Europe declined by N5.36 trillion in 2025, even as the country’s total imports rose by N6.76 trillion year-on-year, according to the latest foreign trade statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Data shows that imports from Europe fell from N22.80 trillion in 2024 to N17.44 trillion in 2025, reflecting a significant contraction in trade flows with the region.

This decline is more pronounced when viewed against Nigeria’s overall import expansion, with total imports rising from N60.59 trillion to N67.35 trillion within the same period.

As a result, Europe’s share of Nigeria’s total imports dropped sharply from 37.63% in 2024 to 25.90% in 2025, signalling a major shift in the country’s sourcing pattern.

Country-level data shows that the decline in European imports was not uniform, with some countries recording strong growth while others experienced sharp contractions.

Nairametrics further observed that the most significant driver of the decline was the “Others” category, which captures imports from smaller European economies.

This single category accounted for more than twice the total decline recorded in Europe-bound imports, suggesting a major disruption or realignment in Nigeria’s trade flows with several European countries.

The scale of the drop indicates that Nigeria significantly reduced its dependence on a broad range of European suppliers, consolidating imports into fewer, more strategic partners.

The sharp drop in Europe’s share of total imports, from 37.63% to 25.90%, highlights a structural shift in Nigeria’s trade dynamics.

The rebalancing of Nigeria’s import structure carries important implications for the economy.

Overall, the data signals an ongoing transition in Nigeria’s global trade positioning, with Europe gradually losing dominance as Nigeria shifts towards alternative import partners.