Business
Foreign Capital Imports in Nigeria drop by 78%
The National Bureau of Statistics of Nigeria, or NBS, has reported at the start of September that the value of Nigeria’s capital imports fell to $1.29 billion. This means that there is an active decline of 77.88 percent in the value. This is especially troublesome considering the fact that during the first quarter of 2020 the capital import used to be $5.85 billion.
This means that cumulatively, on a year-to-year basis, the drop amounted to a whopping 78.60 percent from what it used to be in the second financial quarter of 2019 ($6.05 billion).
It is no secret that this large decline is largely attributed to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic which is currently plaguing the world. Nigeria is not the only country that has been affected by the global problem. Almost every other country in the world is having financial problems with global economies like the US and UK shrinking by 20%. In Nigeria during the period between April and June the Foreign Direct Investment, or FDI, calculated in equities and other capital, has fallen by 30.65 percent on a quarterly and by 33.41 percent on yearly basis. The current number is sitting at $148.59 million. According to NDS, the FDI accounts for almost 12 percent of the total capital that has been imported in the second quarter of 2020. One of the leading causes is portfolio investment (equities, bonds, foreign exchange market, etc). These investments accumulate to 29.76 percent of the total inflow of foreign money. This unit has fallen by an incredible 91.06 percent just between the first and second quarters of 2020 to $385.32 million.
Major capital investment contributor is classified under “other investment” and comprises trade credits, currency deposits, loans, etc. The statistics show that these types of investments account for as much as 58.77 percent of total imported capital or $761.03 million. The decline here is also quite visible as there is a drop of 42.81 percent on quarter to quarter and 48.60 percent on yearly basis.
According to the report made by the NDS, during these times of crisis, Great Britain has become a major capital investor of Nigeria in the second quarter where the inflow of money shows $428.83 million. This is 33.12 percent of the total capital inflow in the second quarter of 2020.
The largest capital importing state is still considered to be Lagos with $1.13 billion or 87.30 percent of the total capital inflow in Q2 of 2020 closely followed by the states of Abuja and Ogun in second and third positions. However, the difference of capital investment here is quite troubling since Abuja has only $145.30 million and the Ogur state is netting $11 million which are 11.20 percent and 0.85 percent of the capital importing total.
The foreign exchange market (Forex, FX) in Nigeria is starting to boom though. Due to the novel coronavirus which has left a huge number of residents unemployed and others locked up in their own homes the number of people who started researching additional ways to generate income has increased by a significant amount. Forex has proved to be a useful instrument in this battle against unemployment. The educational material is freely available online, so it isn’t far from reality that anyone with a decent computer, smartphone, or even a tablet could go through some materials over the internet.
Choosing a proper, licensed broker is also quite an endeavor. However, it is made easier due to the efforts of regulatory bodies that work hard on licensing these firms which afterward have the ability to offer reliable services. If you’re a trader, you can read online forex reviews here to choose your desired broker, test the waters with a demo account, invest, and start trading currency pairs. It is a unique opportunity for people living in developing countries that do not have enough finances to manage the Coronavirus pandemic. This has been successfully done by countries like South Africa, which has introduced its own regulatory body – Financial Services Conduct Authority (FSCA) – that managed to put the country on the global playfield with the South African rand now becoming the 18th most traded currency on Forex globally.
The reason FX is profitable now is because of the Nigerian naira pushing the limits. The currency has become stronger during the last couple of months (everything is comparable) but this can be largely attributed to the fact that the decrease in imports leaves more focus on exports which directly translates to the strengthening of the local currency. However, the margin at which it strengthened leaves something to desire more. Unfortunately, the Nigerian naira has been devaluing for a very long time now and unless something changes in the inner politics of the nation it is not going to improve. The devaluation happens due to the oil prices jumping around constantly. Nigeria is extremely dependent on the crude price. This has gone to the extent where there are multiple exchange rate policies for naira. Currently, it is sitting around N381 which is a 21 point increase from what it used to be prior to the lockdown.
The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, John Enoh said this at the 8th annual induction and conference of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN).
He explained that abandoned projects continue to lock up public funds that could have been used for infrastructure development, industrial growth, job creation and essential social services.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Chris Osa Isokpunwu, he said the impact goes beyond financial losses, as incomplete projects affect communities and limit access to important public services
He cited examples of that remain unopened, schools that cannot accommodate students, roads that fail to connect communities and electricity projects that have not delivered their intended benefits.
The Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, also identified poor project management as a major challenge affecting development in Nigeria.
He revealed that the institute had developed a project management curriculum for Nigerian universities, which has received approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC). The programme is expected to enable universities to offer project management as a bachelor’s degree.
Mbadiwe further referenced findings by the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee, which identified 11,886 ongoing federal capital projects in 2011, with an estimated financial commitment of ?7.78 trillion.
He noted that inadequate planning, supervision, accountability and implementation were among the factors contributing to the abandonment of projects across the country.
The minister called for stronger project management structures across ministries, departments and agencies to improve planning, monitoring and evaluation.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment had introduced a 90-day implementation reporting cycle to strengthen transparency and monitor the progress of government programmes.
Ikenga said the company remained committed to Nigeria’s power sector and would continue investing in its operations despite the challenging business environment.
He spoke in Lagos at the third edition of the Shell Power Conference, themed “Powering Nigeria’s Progress: Turning Ambition and Action into Sustainable Impact”.
The Transcorp Power chief said the company would sustain electricity generation, invest in its facilities and deliver value to shareholders.
“Transcorp Power is a long-term player, not a short-term player. This year has been challenging, but what is important is getting power to schools, hospitals and businesses to power progress,” he said.
Ikenga said the company’s focus on operational efficiency and investment had strengthened its contribution to Nigeria’s electricity supply.
He disclosed that since acquiring the Ughelli Power Plant in Delta State in 2013, Transcorp Power had quadrupled its available generation capacity.
He also said the company became the first privatised power generation firm to receive a post-privatisation discharge certificate after fulfilling all its privatisation obligations.
The company’s unaudited results for the nine months ended September 30, 2026, showed a profit before tax of N83.1 billion, while its profit-before-tax margin rose to 31.2 per cent from 29.6 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Its total assets rose to 11.7 per cent amounting to N629.5 billion, while shareholders’ funds grew 8.9 per cent to N199.8 billion. Cash and cash equivalents also rose to N10.3 billion, supported by improved collections.
On the company’s contribution to grid stability, Ikenga said Transcorp Power’s black-start capability enabled it to restart operations without relying on electricity from the national grid.
He explained that the capability allowed the company to support power restoration following grid disturbances, helping to restore electricity supply to homes, businesses and industries.
Ikenga noted that Nigeria had an installed electricity generation capacity of about 13,000 megawatts, with an estimated potential of 50 gigawatts, adding that realising the potential would require effective coordination across the entire value chain.
“Everything in the value chain has to work,” he said.
He called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, regulators and private-sector operators, alongside increased private investment, to build a sustainable electricity market.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Communications and Press Secretary, Maryann Duke.
The statement said Oyedele pointed to “improved digital systems, including electronic invoicing, as a key driver behind a record of N33tn in government revenue collected between January and October 2026.”
The minister said the performance demonstrated the potential of technology to improve revenue administration, strengthen compliance and increase efficiency across government institutions.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Digital Sovereignty and Ethics: Guarding the Economy for the Next Generation,’ Oyedele warned that Nigeria risked losing substantial economic opportunities if it continued to depend heavily on foreign digital infrastructure.
Citing Nigerian Communications Commission figures, he disclosed that the country recorded more than 157 million active internet subscriptions as of May 2026.
He explained that these connections generated significant volumes of information through financial transactions, healthcare, education and taxation.
However, citing estimates from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Oyedele said as much as 90 per cent of the country’s data was hosted abroad.
According to him, the situation has implications for foreign exchange expenditure, employment opportunities, technological skills and Nigeria’s control over information generated by its citizens.
He compared the country’s reliance on foreign digital infrastructure with its historical dependence on imported refined petroleum products, warning against a situation where Nigerian data would be processed abroad and the resulting services sold back to domestic users.
The minister consequently advocated greater investment in local data infrastructure, technical expertise, cybersecurity and predictable regulations to enable Nigerian businesses to capture more value from the digital economy.
He clarified that digital sovereignty should not translate into technological isolation but should strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to participate competitively in international markets.
Addressing graduating students, Oyedele urged young Nigerians to become developers of technological solutions rather than remain primarily consumers of products created elsewhere.
He identified artificial intelligence as both a disruptive force and an opportunity for innovation, advising graduates to acquire relevant digital skills alongside critical thinking, creativity, sound judgement and integrity.
The minister also cautioned against irresponsible online behaviour, explaining that digital footprints increasingly influence employment prospects, commercial relationships and professional credibility.
Oyedele outlined five priorities for graduates, including continuous learning, value creation, integrity, responsible digital citizenship and active participation in national development.
“Your degree is evidence of what you have learned. Your competence will demonstrate what you can do. Your character will reveal who you truly are,” he told the graduating students.
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