Overall investment inflows into Nigeria improved in 2019 but showed a declining trend from Q1’2019

Summary

• Foreign investment inflow reached its highest in over five years at US$24 billion but showed a declining trend from Q1’2019. Inflows peaked at US$8.5 billion in the first quarter and declined consistently to US$3.8 billion in the fourth quarter.
• Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) sustains momentum whilst FDI suffers a decline. FPI maintained its position as the major contributor to Nigeria’s foreign inflows at 68%. On the other hand, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) continued its declining trend, contributed 4% to investment inflows in FY’2019.

Investment Inflows into Nigeria surged to $24 billion in 2019, the highest inflow ever recorded

According to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), foreign investment inflows for full year 2019 spiked 42.7% to $24 billion from $16.8 billion in 2018. The 2019 figure of inflows represents three consecutive years of expansion and marked the highest inflow ever recorded. The increase in foreign investment inflow in FY’2019 continued to be dominated by Portfolio Investments. In FY’2019, FPI accounted for 68.2% of total inflows down from 70.2% the previous year while Foreign Direct Investment and other Investment Inflows accounted for 3.9% and 27.9% respectively. Meanwhile, all through year 2019, foreign investment inflows exhibited a downward trend on a quarterly basis; closing the year lower at $3.8 billion in Q4’2019 from $8.5 billion in Q1’2019 and $5.6 billion in Q3’2019.