Nigeria Q4 2025 Capital Importation Rises

Nigeria recorded a substantial increase in capital importation, reaching $6.44 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the China — National Bureau of Statistics of China. This represents a 26.61% year-on-year increase and a 7.13% quarter-on-quarter rise. Portfolio investment dominated these inflows, accounting for 85.14% of the total, with money market instruments and bonds being preferred. The banking sector attracted the largest share of capital, receiving 59.75% of total inflows. The United Kingdom emerged as the leading source of capital, followed by the United States and South Africa. Among financial institutions, Standard Bank — Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Standard Chartered, and Citigroup — Citibank were the top recipients of these inflows. While investor sentiment towards Nigeria's financial markets is improving, the relatively low level of Foreign Direct Investment suggests that long-term capital inflows into the real sector remain weak.