Nigeria recorded nearly $15bn in two-way trade with the US in 2025, a 14% increase over 2024, making it Washington’s second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigeria and the United States recorded nearly $15 billion in two-way trade in 2025, making Africa’s most populous nation Washington’s second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, a senior American diplomat has confirmed.
Keith Heffern, chargé d’affaires of the US mission in Nigeria, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Lagos during the US 250th Independence Day celebration.
Heffern placed the bilateral trade relationship in sharp relief.
“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 percent 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.”
He added that supporting American business interests in Nigeria remains a core diplomatic priority.
“One of our key priorities at the US mission in Nigeria is helping US companies succeed in this market,” Heffern said.
The commercial partnership driving growth
Heffern said the US has partnered with Nigeria’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to deliver a five-year memorandum of understanding called the US-Nigerian Commercial and Investment Partnership, now in its second year.
“Now in year two, this partnership is a leading example of our bilateral commercial relationship in action,” he said.
“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. In January, Lagos hosted the first ministerial-level meeting under the partnership.”
Heffern said cooperation under the framework spans three clearly defined sectors.
“Through this partnership, we have advanced cooperation in three strategic sectors: agriculture, the digital economy, and infrastructure, to drive long-term growth and shared prosperity,” he said.
In April, the US government expanded agricultural trade support for Nigeria through the Export Credit Guarantee Programme (GSM-102) of the US Department of Agriculture. Heffern also noted that Washington is making one of its most significant investments anywhere in the world in Lagos.
Security cooperation
Heffern said security cooperation complements the commercial relationship and plays an equally vital role in advancing stability and protecting shared interests.
He noted that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), working alongside the US Drug Enforcement Administration, earlier this year helped dismantle a major transnational criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.
Context
The 14 percent year-on-year growth in bilateral trade from roughly $13 billion in 2024 to nearly $15 billion in 2025 positions Nigeria as a standout commercial partner for the US on the continent, behind only South Africa in sub-Saharan Africa. With over 100 American companies active in the Nigerian market and a formal five-year partnership framework in place, the trajectory points to continued expansion across agriculture, digital infrastructure and trade finance in the years ahead.
