By George OPARA
Nigeria’s trade sector has attracted International investors who injected $65.79 million into Nigeria’s commercial and trading sector between January and March (Q1) 2026, representing a 91.31% increase from the $34.39 million recorded during the same period in 2025.
Spear News Nigeria gathered this from the latest capital importation data.
Also, figures from the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that the sector benefited from renewed investor confidence in commercial activities and cross-border trade, although inflows moderated from the stronger levels recorded in the second half of 2025.
Foreign capital inflows into trade stood at $80.94m in the third quarter of 2025 and rose further to $119.21m in the fourth quarter before easing in the first quarter of this year.
Further, the improved investment performance existed same time with trade emerging as the largest contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter of 2026, accounting for 17.89 percent of total output.
Dr Muda Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, attributed the sector’s strong performance to improving macroeconomic conditions, including greater exchange rate stability, improved foreign exchange liquidity, easing inflationary pressures and recovering business confidence.
But Yusuf said commerce alone could not sustain long-term economic transformation, underscoring the need for stronger productive capacity, industrialisation and domestic value addition.
However, Industry stakeholders said regional integration initiatives under the African Continental Free Trade Area would further strengthen trade-led growth across the continent.
Chief Executive Officer of Seedtree Capital, Bowale Adeoye, noted that innovations in trade finance, payment systems and logistics were reducing transaction costs and improving cross-border commerce.
She noted that platforms such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System were enabling faster settlement of transactions in local currencies.
Also, the broader NBS report indicated that total foreign capital inflows into Nigeria rose to $10.37bn in the first quarter of 2026, compared with $5.64bn a year earlier. Portfolio investment accounted for the largest share of inflows, while foreign direct investment stood at $135.08m.
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