Nigeria is stepping up efforts to convert rising capital inflows and export growth into industrial expansion and job creation through new trade intelligence tools designed to help businesses access international markets, navigate trade requirements and strengthen export competitiveness.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, said the tools would provide Nigerian exporters and investors with reliable market information to guide commercial decisions and translate economic reforms into measurable gains for the real economy.
Speaking at the launch of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment’s Trade Intelligence Tools in Abuja, Oduwole said the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s ambition to build a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
READ ALSO: Nigerian Navy to Establish Defence Technology Research Institute
She cited an increase in capital importation from about 3.9 billion dollars in 2023 to more than 23 billion dollars in 2025, while non-oil exports reached approximately 12 trillion naira, with Nigerian products reaching more than 120 countries.
The minister also disclosed that intra-African trade grew by 21 per cent in 2025, stressing that the priority was to translate these gains into productive investment, completed export transactions and stronger domestic industries.
“Our task now is to turn capital flows into productive investment, export opportunities into completed transactions and policy reforms into measurable gains in the real economy,” Oduwole said.
She acknowledged persistent challenges confronting businesses, including high production costs, limited access to finance, logistics constraints and complex trade procedures. According to her, the government is working with private-sector and institutional partners to address these barriers.
Oduwole explained that the tools would help exporters identify promising markets, understand applicable tariffs and entry requirements, and access reliable information before shipping their products.
They would also provide investors with clearer information on Nigeria’s productive capacity and investment opportunities.
She identified the forthcoming CANEX Weekend 2026 and the Intra-African Trade Fair 2027 in Lagos as strategic platforms for expanding commercial partnerships, promoting Nigerian products and connecting businesses with international buyers and investors.
The minister said the ministry planned to formally launch its Trade Portal at CANEX Weekend, scheduled for November 5 to 8, 2026. The portal is expected to connect businesses with market intelligence and help turn trade contacts into actual transactions.
Presenting an overview of the ministry’s trade intelligence publications, the Minister’s Special Adviser, Dr Tochukwu Nwachukwu, highlighted developments in exports, investment inflows and Nigeria’s expanding trade relations.
Nwachukwu disclosed that the ministry’s latest Trade Intelligence Report showed that Nigeria’s non-oil exports reached a record ₦12.36 trillion in 2025, while capital importation nearly doubled over the period.
He said the reports were developed to strengthen evidence-based policymaking, improve accountability and provide reliable data for government, businesses and investors making trade and investment decisions.
According to him, the ministry produced two publications: the Trade Intelligence Report 2026, which analyses trade and investment performance throughout 2025, and Trade in Six Months: Nigeria Half-Year 2026, which covers developments between January and June 2026.
Meanwhile, the President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Jani Ibrahim, called for increased private-sector investment in value-added exports, competitive manufacturing and priority export value chains to strengthen Nigeria’s position in global trade and generate more jobs.
