Nigeria-US trade climbs to $15bn in 2025, ranks second in Sub-Saharan Africa

NIGERIA has become the United States’ second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa after bilateral trade between both countries climbed to nearly $15 billion in 2025, according to the US mission in Nigeria.

The disclosure was made by the US chargé d’affaires in Nigeria, Mr Keith Heffern, during the celebration of the 250th Independence Day of the United States in Lagos on Wednesday. He said two-way trade between Nigeria and the US increased by 14 percent from 2024, underscoring the growing strength of commercial ties between the two countries.

Heffern said the US government has made trade and investment a central pillar of its engagement across Africa, describing Nigeria as a key economic partner. According to him, the nearly $15 billion in trade represents more than statistics, as it supports jobs, creates business opportunities and drives economic transformation for both Americans and Nigerians.

He noted that more than 100 American companies currently operate in Nigeria, adding that one of the major priorities of the US mission is to help those businesses succeed and expand in the Nigerian market.

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The envoy also highlighted the implementation of the 5-year US-Nigerian Commercial and Investment Partnership, a memorandum of understanding signed with Nigeria’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. He said the initiative, now in its second year, has become a key platform for strengthening bilateral commercial relations.

According to Heffern, the partnership is led by the private sector and brings together nearly 50 Nigerian and US companies to work with policymakers in removing barriers to trade and investment. He recalled that Lagos hosted the first ministerial-level meeting under the initiative in January.

He said the collaboration has already deepened cooperation in agriculture, the digital economy and infrastructure – sectors identified as critical for promoting long-term economic growth and shared prosperity.

Beyond trade, Heffern said security cooperation remains an important pillar of US-Nigeria relations. He cited a joint operation earlier this year in which Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency worked with the US Drug Enforcement Administration to dismantle a major transnational criminal network involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

He commended the growing partnership between both countries, noting that the US is making one of its largest global investments anywhere in the world in Lagos. He also recalled that in April, Washington expanded support for agricultural trade with Nigeria through the GSM-102 Export Credit Guarantee Programme administered by the US Department of Agriculture.