China remained Nigeria’s dominant import source in the second quarter of 2026, while India emerged as the country’s largest export destination, according to data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Nigeria imported goods worth about ₦14.42 trillion during the quarter. China accounted for 41.02%, supplying goods valued at approximately ₦5.92 trillion. The United States was a distant second at 6.97%, followed by India at 6.41%, the Netherlands at 2.84% and Germany at 2.74%.
On the export side, India ranked first, receiving Nigerian goods worth around ₦3.29 trillion, equivalent to 12.17% of Nigeria’s total exports. Spain followed with 7.34%, the Netherlands with 7.05%, the United States with 6.40% and Togo with 5.54%. Together, the five destinations accounted for 38.51% of Nigeria’s exports.
Nigeria’s total merchandise exports reached approximately ₦27.02 trillion in Q2 2026, compared with imports of ₦14.42 trillion, giving the country a trade surplus of about ₦12.60 trillion. Exports increased 18.8% year on year, while imports declined 12.55%.
Crude oil remained Nigeria’s largest export, generating about ₦12.91 trillion, or 47.79% of total exports. Other petroleum products also recorded strong growth, while non-crude exports accounted for 52.21% of the total.
The figures highlight the contrasting roles of China and India in Nigeria’s trade structure: China is the country’s overwhelmingly largest supplier of imported goods, while India has become its leading export market. The concentration also underscores Nigeria’s continued reliance on a limited number of trading partners and commodity groups.