Nigeria’s exports to Niger Republic soars 77.12% 2024
Agency Report
The diplomatic row between Nigeria and Niger Republic did not affect trade between the two countries as exports from Nigeria to Niger rose by 77.12 per cent in 2024.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NHS), exports from Nigeria rose to N834.196. 38 billion from N46.51 billion in 2023.
Since the unfortunate coup d’etat carried out by General Abdulrahman T’chini, the head of the Niger Republic military junta against the country’s democratically elected president, Muhammed Bazoun, in July 2023, Nigeria/Niger relationship has been strained or can be described as that of cat and mouse.
The Niger Republic bloodless coup which ousted the Mohammed Bazoun’s civilian government had come after the military takeover of two Sahelian countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, which are former colonies of France.
Military coup d’etat in Africa is seen or considered as an old fashion. For more than two decades, many African countries have embraced democracy. Though some African countries have continued to witness leadership sit-tight syndrome by some despots, democracy is well-grounded and accepted across the globe.
The total trade volume between both countries climbed to N91.92 billion in 2024, up from N50.48 billion recorded in 2023, despite diplomatic tensions.
The sharp increase was largely driven by Nigerian exports to Niger, which jumped from N46.51 billion in 2023 to N82.38 billion in 2024. Exports accounted for 89.62 per cent of total trade, reflecting a strong demand for Nigerian goods in the Sahel nation.
Imports from Niger also rebounded from N3.97 billion in 2023 to N9.53 billion in 2024, signaling a gradual recovery in economic exchanges.
According to Nairametrics.com, trade between Nigeria and Niger has fluctuated significantly over the past five years. In 2020, total trade between the two countries stood at N6.69 billion before surging to N88.60 billion in 2021, driven by an increase in Nigerian exports to N78.40 billion.
The momentum continued into 2022, with total trade reaching N95.76 billion. However, in 2023, economic activity between both nations dropped sharply by 47.28% to N50.48 billion following political instability in Niger.
The July 2023 coup that led to the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum triggered a diplomatic standoff between Nigeria and Niger, leading ECOWAS to impose sanctions on the country. These included border closures, financial restrictions, and the suspension of the electricity supply, all of which disrupted trade.
However, despite these restrictions, trade rebounded in 2024, reflecting a resilient demand for Nigerian products in Niger.
Nigeria remains one of Niger’s biggest trading partners, supplying essential commodities including agricultural products, manufactured goods, and petroleum products. The NBS foreign trade report for Q4 2024 ranked Niger as one of Nigeria’s key trading partners within ECOWAS, stating, “Nigeria’s major trading import partner within ECOWAS was Ivory Coast (N41.40 billion), followed by Ghana (N22.96 billion), Liberia (N4.04 billion), Niger Republic (N2.62 billion), and Togo (N2.21 billion), representing 90.45 per cent of total imports from the ECOWAS region.”
Cigarettes emerged as a major Nigerian export to Niger, with N9.34 billion worth of cigarettes imported from Nigeria into Niger Republic in the fourth quarter of 2024.
