Nigerians spent a staggering N3.9 trillion on imported plastics, rubbers, and related products in 2025, highlighting the country’s continued dependence on foreign goods despite local production capacities, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The figures show that in the final quarter of 2025 alone — October to December — Nigerians imported these items at a cost of N982.9 billion. This marks a slight increase from the N3.4 trillion spent in 2024 and a sharp rise from N1.2 trillion in 2023.
A breakdown of other imported consumer goods revealed that Nigerians also spent N89.9 billion on items such as umbrellas, sunshades, footwear, headgear, and whips in 2025. Of this, N22.1 billion was spent in the last quarter of the year.
The NBS report further underscores Nigeria’s reliance on imports for essential commodities beyond consumer goods. Notably, Nigerians spent a record N8.8 trillion on petrol imports during the same period, with N3.5 trillion imported in the fourth quarter alone.
For the first three quarters of 2025, fuel imports accounted for N5.3 trillion — N1.76 trillion in Q1, N2.37 trillion in Q2, and N1.2 trillion in Q3.
The fourth-quarter petrol import bill of N3.5 trillion surpasses previous records: N3.303 trillion in Q4 2024, N1.558 trillion in Q4 2022, N1.443 trillion in Q4 2021, and N574.8 billion in Q4 2019.
Experts say the data reflects structural gaps in domestic production and the continued demand for imported goods, which could further strain Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves if not addressed.
“While local industries have the potential to produce plastics and rubber products, inefficiencies in manufacturing and supply chains continue to make imports a cheaper and more reliable option for businesses and consumers,” an economist who requested anonymity stated this.
The figures come at a time when policymakers are pushing for import substitution policies and incentives for local manufacturers, aiming to reduce the country’s dependency on foreign goods and improve industrial capacity.
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