Foreign direct investments (FDIs) into Nigeria surged to $720 million in the third quarter of 2025, a sevenfold jump from $90 million in the previous quarter, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed.
Compared with the same period last year, when FDI stood at $570 million, the inflow rose by 26 per cent, making Q3 the strongest quarter for long-term investment in 2025.
The rise in FDI comes as Nigeria’s external finances showed significant improvement. The CBN reported an overall balance-of-payments surplus of $4.6 billion in the quarter, while foreign-exchange reserves climbed to $42.77 billion at the end of September from $37.81 billion three months earlier.
The central bank’s data also showed that the financial account swung into a net lending position of $320 million, compared with net borrowing of $6.9 billion in the second quarter.
“The shift reflects stronger direct investment inflows, improved participation in domestically issued instruments earlier in the year, and higher reserve accumulation,” the CBN said.
Meanwhile, portfolio inflows—short-term investments in stocks and bonds—fell to $2.51 billion from $5.28 billion in Q2, highlighting a move away from speculative money toward more stable, long-term investments.
FDIs are considered a key gauge of investor confidence because they involve ownership stakes and reinvested earnings, rather than short-term trading.
