Nigeria's Intra-African Trade Soars 21% to $9.02 Billion Amid AfCFTA Expansion

Nigeria's trade with other African nations experienced a significant boost, climbing 21% to $9.02 billion in 2025. This growth highlights the increasing impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in broadening market access for Nigerian exporters and fostering deeper regional economic ties.

The African Trade Report 2026, released by Afreximbank, indicates that Nigeria's intra-African trade value rose from $7.47 billion in 2024 to $9.02 billion in 2025. This performance positions Nigeria as a leading trading nation within Africa and underscores its intensified focus on regional commerce.

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Elsewhere in West Africa, the value of Nigeria’s trade with the continent grew from $7.47 billion to $9.02 billion. Crude oil was a dominant feature in Nigeria’s exports to Africa. Other key exports included nonoil manufactured goods such as chemicals, plastics, and rubber products, processed agricultural goods and foodstuffs, urea, and cement.

While crude oil continues to be the primary export to African markets, Nigeria's export portfolio is becoming more diverse. There has been a notable increase in shipments of chemicals, plastics, rubber products, processed agricultural goods, food items, urea, and cement to regional destinations. This diversification aligns with Nigeria's broader strategy to reduce its reliance on markets outside Africa and capitalize on the continent's expanding consumer base.

The report attributes this improvement to Nigeria's strategic leveraging of the AfCFTA to reduce trade barriers and expand export opportunities. Key milestones include the gazetting of Nigeria's Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions in April 2025, enabling preferential tariffs for Nigerian goods across AfCFTA member states. Additionally, new logistics initiatives, such as a dedicated air cargo corridor to East and Southern Africa, are helping to lower transportation costs for intra-African trade.

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Nigeria intensified its focus on trade with other African countries, leveraging the AfCFTA to expand market access and lower trade costs for domestic exporters. Key milestones achieved during the year included the gazetting of Nigeria’s Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions in April, which enabled Nigerian goods to qualify for preferential tariffs across AfCFTA member states while granting reciprocal access for African imports. Additionally, new logistics initiatives such as a dedicated air cargo corridor to East and Southern Africa are reducing transportation costs for Nigerian intra-African trade.