Nigeria recorded a N927.16 billion trade surplus between January and March 2023, says the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

This is contained in the NBS Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics Report for Q1 2023, released in Abuja on Tuesday.

In its report, the NBS said Nigeria’s total exports stood at N6.49 trillion and imports at N5.56 trillion.

The NBS report shows that the nation’s total trade stood at N12.05 trillion in the quarter under review. It added that it was higher than the value (N7.86 trillion) recorded in the corresponding period (Q1) of 2021.

It also said total imports increased by 3.67 per cent in Q1 2023 compared to the value recorded in Q4 2022 at N5,362.83 billion. Total imports, however, fell by 25.83 per cent compared to the value recorded in Q1 2022 at N7,495.67 billion.

The NBS said re-exports value in the quarter under review stood at N32.17 billion representing 0.50 per cent of total exports.

The report added that Cameroun, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, the United Kingdom, and Liberia were the top five re-export destinations. Most re-exported commodities were vessels and other floating structures for breaking up with N21.07 billion.

This was followed by light vessels, fire floats, floating cranes, and other vessels valued at N4.71 billion. Followed by this were other instruments and appliances for surveying amounting to N0.93 billion and parts of work-truck of the type used in factories, warehouses, dock areas or airports valued at N0.85 billion, said the bureau.

It also revealed that the top five export destinations in Q1 2023 were the Netherlands, accounting for 12.91 per cent, the U.S., 8.93 per cent, Spain, 7.53 per cent, France at 7.51 per cent, and India at 7.04 per cent of total exports.

Altogether, exports to the top five countries amounted to 43.92 per cent of the total value of exports.

It said the commodity with the largest export values in Q1 2023 was Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude at N5,148.58 billion representing 79.37 per cent.

This, the bureau said, is followed by ‘Natural gas, liquefied’ at N622.36 billion, accounting for 9.59 per cent, and ‘Urea, whether or not in aqueous solution’ at N146.79 billion or 2.26 per cent of total exports.

In terms of imports, the report said in Q1 2023, China, the Netherlands, Belgium, India, and the USA were the top five countries of origin of imports to Nigeria.

It said the value of imports from the top five countries amounted to N3,101.42 billion, representing a share of 55.78 per cent of the total value of imports.

The commodities with the largest values of imported products, it said, were petrol at N1,492.28 billion, gas oil at N472.40 billion and durum wheat (not in seeds) at N249.22 billion. 

(NAN)