Nigeria imported goods worth N11.01 trillion from China in the first half of 2026, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the country’s total imports, amid growing concerns by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control over Chinese-linked counterfeit networks.
An analysis by The PUNCH of the latest Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics reports released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that imports from China rose from N5.10tn in the first quarter to N5.92tn in the second quarter.
The combined N11.01tn represented 39.27 per cent of Nigeria’s N28.04tn total imports between January and June 2026, indicating that almost N4 out of every N10 spent on imported goods during the period went to products originating from China.
China’s share of Nigeria’s imports also increased considerably from the corresponding period of last year.
NBS data showed that Nigeria imported N4.66tn from China in Q1 2025 and N4.96tn in Q2, bringing the first-half figure to N9.62tn. This means imports from China increased by N1.39tn, or 14.49 per cent, to N11.01tn in H1 2026. The increase occurred despite a contraction in Nigeria’s overall import bill.
