Browsing: Investing in Nigeria

• Nigeria is currently the United States’ 54th largest goods trading partner, with US$7.8 billion in total goods trade as of 2019
• The top export categories in 2019 were: vehicles at US$938 million, cereals, especially wheat, at US$494million), machinery at US$479million, mineral fuels at US$287 million, and plastics at US$189 million
• The top import categories were mineral fuels at US$4.4 billion, special other (returns) at US$80 million, oil seeds and oleaginous fruits at US$15 million, fertilisers at US$11 million, and cocoa at US$10 million

The value of trade between Nigeria and the United States has continued to grow, data by the Office of the United States Trade Representative shows. According to the resource centre, Nigeria is currently the United States’ 54th largest goods trading partner, with US$7.8 billion in total (two way) goods trade as of 2019.

The centre also reveals that goods exports totalled US$3.2 billion while goods imports totalled …

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has assured investors that the country’s fiscal policies will be more favourable, predictable and measurably tilted towards creating a harmonious business environment.

Buhari who spoke on Wednesday in Paris, France, urged investors to further explore vast opportunities of human and natural resources in Nigeria.

His call came as he held meetings with some of the biggest investment players, among them the Chairman/CEO of Total, Patrick Pouyanne, Executive Vice President, AirBus, Silvere Delaunay, Chairman of the Board of a software company, Daussault Systems, Florence Verzelen, Chairman/CEO of General Engineering and Marketing of Telecommunications Operator, Francois-Regis Teze and Chairman/CEO, Donaflex Automotive, Dr Donatus Nwokoye, in Paris.

Scaling up operating standards

While meeting with the delegation from Total, President Buhari said the outlook and potentials for growth in the country have remained steadily positive, affirming the government’s commitment to scale up operating standards and policies that encourage mutual benefits.…

Investors are set to pump a total of $8.41 billion into Nigeria’s economy.

According to the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), more jobs will be created since the investors are targeting various sectors in the country.

NIPC Executive Secretary Yewande Sadiku who made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja said  the country’s unemployment level is the second highest globally.

Sadiku noted that the $8.4billion is pledged for the first quarter of the year, while over 23.19 million Nigerians, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report, were unemployed during the fourth quarter of 2020.

However, Sadiku said although investment announcements are not actually investment, it gives an aggregate of investors’ interest in Nigeria and also help to translate those announcements to actual investment.

According to her, the Commission has been honest on the gap between announcement and actual investment demonstrating potential.

“We have also said that a …

The World Bank, in 2020, announced that the Nigerian economic may see a dip into recession, the worst the African country has seen in 40 years. This was largely due to the effects of the fall in the global price of oil, a commodity the nation‘s economy is heavily reliant on, and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, that nearly crippled not just Nigeria’s, but the global economy.  

But these challenges were not the only catalysts for Nigeria’s imminent recession, issues around insecurity, infrastructural deficit, trade barriers, and power supply challenges all form a crude mix that has managed to drive the country down this very path.  

Since the election of the Buhari’s administration in 2015, a lot more focus has been placed on driving local content and boosting local production, particularly in the agriculture sector. This was also in line to make the Nigerian economy …

The Nigerian economy may see a dip into recession, announced by the World Bank, in 2020, the worst the African country has seen in 40 years. This was largely due to the effects of the fall in the global price of oil, a commodity the nation‘s economy is heavily reliant on, and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, that nearly crippled not just Nigeria’s, but the global economy.  

But these challenges were not the only catalysts for Nigeria’s imminent recession, issues around insecurity, infrastructural deficit, trade barriers, and power supply challenges all form a crude mix that has managed to drive the country down this very path.  

Since the election of the Buhari’s administration in 2015, a lot more focus has been placed on driving local content and boosting local production, particularly in the agriculture sector. This was also in line to make the Nigerian economy …

The Finance Bill, among other things, proposed an increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent. The additional revenue from the increase in VAT rate would be used to fund healthcare, education and infrastructure. The Government intends to mitigate the impact of the VAT rate increase by introducing a VAT exemption threshold for businesses with a turnover of less than N25 million per annum, and expanding the list of VAT-exempt items to include the following:

1. Brown and white bread;
2. cereals including maize, rice, wheat, millet, barley and sorghum;
3. fish of all kinds;
4. flour and starch meals;
5. fruits, nuts, pulses and vegetables of various kinds;
6. roots such as yam, cocoyam, sweet and Irish potatoes;
7. meat and poultry products including eggs;
8. milk;
9. salt and herbs of various kinds; and
10. natural water and table water.

The Bill was signed into law by the President, Muhammadu …