Nigeria TV Info 
Nigeria Spends N3.53trn on Raw Material Imports in First Half of 2025

Nigeria’s dependence on imported raw materials surged in the first half of 2025, as data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that the country spent a total of N3.53 trillion on raw material imports between January and June 2025.

This figure represents a 17.4% increase compared to the N3.01 trillion recorded during the same period in 2024. According to the NBS Foreign Trade in Goods report, the increase was largely driven by the continued depreciation of the naira, high energy costs, and the slow recovery of local industries.

Major imported items included chemical products, plastics, iron and steel materials, paper-related inputs, and textile materials, with China, India, and the Netherlands ranking as Nigeria’s top import partners.

Economic analysts have expressed concern that the growing import bill reflects Nigeria’s weak manufacturing base, despite government efforts to promote local production through initiatives like the Backward Integration Policy and the Presidential Initiative on Industrialisation (PII).

Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) urged the federal government to address structural bottlenecks, including unreliable power supply and limited access to foreign exchange, which continue to hinder domestic production and competitiveness.

Experts warn that unless Nigeria strengthens local sourcing of raw materials and reduces import dependency, the manufacturing sector may continue to struggle, further worsening the trade deficit and inflationary pressure.