Friday, July 3, 2026 -The United States says two-way trade with Nigeria reached nearly $15 billion in 2025, making Nigeria Washington's second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Chargé d'Affaires of the US Mission in Nigeria, Keith
Heffern, disclosed this on Wednesday during the celebration of the 250th
Independence Day of the United States in Lagos. Speaking on bilateral
relations, Heffern said trade and investment remain central to US engagement
across Africa, describing Nigeria as a key economic partner.
"Nigeria is now the United States' second-largest
trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa," he said. "In 2025, two-way
trade between our countries reached nearly $15 billion, a 14 per cent increase
over 2024. These aren't just numbers.
"With more than 100 US companies operating in Nigeria,
they represent jobs, opportunities and economic transformation for Americans
and Nigerians. One of our key priorities at the US Mission in Nigeria is
helping US companies succeed in this market."
Heffern said the US government has partnered with Nigeria's
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to implement a five-year Memorandum
of Understanding under the US-Nigerian Commercial and Investment Partnership.
According to him, the initiative, now in its second year,
has become a major platform for strengthening commercial ties between both
countries. "As a private sector-led initiative, we have nearly 50 US and
Nigerian companies uniting business leaders and policymakers to remove barriers
to trade and investment," he said.
He noted that Lagos hosted the first ministerial-level
meeting under the partnership in January, adding that the collaboration has
advanced cooperation in agriculture, the digital economy and infrastructure to
promote long-term economic growth and shared prosperity. Heffern also
highlighted security cooperation as another key pillar of the relationship
between the two countries.
He said earlier this year, the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency, working with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, helped
dismantle a major transnational criminal organization involved in drug
trafficking and money laundering.
The envoy commended the progress recorded in the partnership
between Nigeria and the United States, adding that Washington is making one of
its most significant global investments in Lagos. He also recalled that in
April, the US government announced expanded support for agricultural trade with
Nigeria through the Export Credit Guarantee Programme (GSM-102) of the US
Department of Agriculture.
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