Nigeria’s imports of manufactured goods rose to N18 trillion in the first half of 2026, representing a 16.9% increase from the N15.40 trillion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
The increase was driven by a stronger second-quarter performance, with manufactured goods imports rising to N9.51 trillion from N8.48 trillion in Q1 2026, representing a 12.1% quarter-on-quarter increase.
The latest figure highlights the continued reliance of Nigerian businesses on imported manufactured products despite efforts to strengthen domestic production and reduce import dependence.
This is according to Nairametrics’ analysis of the Q1 and Q2 2026 Foreign Trade Statistics reports released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Manufactured goods imports stood at N9.51 trillion in Q2 2026, compared with N8.48 trillion in Q1, taking the H1 total to about N18 trillion.
The trend suggests that demand for imported manufactured products remains strong, either because local producers are unable to meet certain categories of demand or because businesses continue to rely on imported inputs and finished products.
The increase in imports comes against the backdrop of persistent financing and production challenges confronting Nigeria’s manufacturing sector.
These pressures can make locally manufactured goods more expensive to produce, potentially increasing businesses’ reliance on imported products where they are cheaper or more readily available.
In June, Nairametrics reported that Nigeria’s manufacturing sector contributed N329.59 billion in Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue in the first quarter of 2026.
At the same time, the Federal Government is seeking to expand the market available to Nigerian manufacturers by encouraging businesses to participate more actively in regional trade.
In September, the government urged manufacturers to leverage the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) to increase exports and gain access to markets across West Africa.
