Nigeria’s total merchandise trade rose to ₦41.44 trillion in the second quarter of 2026, representing a 5.61 per cent increase compared with the ₦39.24 trillion recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2025.
The latest figure released on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also marks a strong 19.13 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase from the ₦34.79 trillion recorded in the first quarter of 2026.
Exports continued to dominate Nigeria’s trade profile during the period, accounting for 65.20 per cent of total merchandise trade, with a value of ₦27.02 trillion.
The value of exports increased by 18.77 per cent compared with the ₦22.75 trillion recorded in Q2 2025. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, exports surged 27.64 per cent, up from ₦21.17 trillion in Q1 2026.
The figures indicate a significant expansion in Nigeria’s external trade activity in the second quarter, driven largely by the strong growth in exports.
Overall, the latest performance shows that Nigeria recorded higher trade volumes both compared with the same period a year earlier and with the preceding quarter, while exports remained the dominant component of the country’s merchandise trade.
