By Boluwatife Oshadiya | March 26, 2026
Key Points
- Nigeria records $6.44bn capital inflow in Q4 2025, up 26.61% YoY
- United Kingdom accounts for nearly 58% of total inflows
- Portfolio investment dominates, signalling preference for short-term assets
Main Story
Nigeria’s capital importation rose to $6.44 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, driven largely by inflows from the United Kingdom, according to new data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The figure represents a 26.61 per cent increase from $5.09 billion recorded in the same period of 2024, and a 7.13 per cent rise from $6.01 billion in the preceding quarter, indicating sustained recovery in foreign capital inflows.
Portfolio investment accounted for the bulk of inflows at $5.49 billion, representing 85.14 per cent of total capital imported. Foreign direct investment (FDI) contributed $357.80 million, while other investments stood at $599.65 million.
Within portfolio flows, money market instruments led with $3.08 billion, followed by bonds at $1.97 billion, highlighting investor preference for liquid, short-term securities.
Sectoral analysis showed that the banking sector attracted the largest share of inflows at $3.85 billion, or 59.75 per cent, followed by financing activities with $1.94 billion.
By source, the UK contributed $3.73 billion, far ahead of the United States ($837.91 million) and South Africa ($516.96 million).
Among financial intermediaries, Stanbic IBTC Bank led with $2.23 billion in inflows, followed by Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria and Citibank Nigeria.
What’s Being Said
“In Q4 2025, total capital importation into Nigeria stood at $6.44bn… indicating an increase of 26.61 per cent on a year-on-year basis,” the NBS said in its report.
Economic analyst Bismarck Rewane noted: “The dominance of portfolio flows shows confidence in yields, but weak FDI signals lingering structural concerns in the real sector.”
What’s Next
- Investors to monitor FX stability and interest rate direction in 2026
- Potential policy adjustments to attract long-term FDI inflows
- Next capital importation report expected in Q1 2026 release cycle
The Bottom Line:
Nigeria is attracting capital again—but mostly short-term money. Until structural reforms boost foreign direct investment, the economy remains exposed to volatile portfolio flows.
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