Nigeria is now US’ second-largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa – Envoy

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.

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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 organisation 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.