Trade between the global economic giants China and Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, rose sharply between January 2026 and June 2026.
- Trade between China and Nigeria increased by 35% to $17.4 billion in the first half of 2026.
- Nigeria’s exports to China rose by 81% to $2.25 billion in the same period.
- The trade growth is partly due to China scrapping import duties on goods from 53 African countries, including Nigeria.
- Nigeria’s exports of agricultural products, raw materials, and specialized goods to China are increasing as Chinese demand grows.
This information was disclosed by the Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, Yang Jianxing, who also revealed that trade between the two countries increased by 35 per cent to $17.4 billion in the first half of the current fiscal year.
The Chinese director also highlighted that Nigeria’s exports to China rose by 81% to $2.25 billion during the launch of the Mandarin Service of the Voice of Nigeria and the celebration of the China-Nigeria Bridge Chinese Radio Programme in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
Yang said the new trade figures showed that more African goods were finding their way into the Chinese market.
He attributed part of this growth to China’s decision to scrap import duties on goods from 53 African countries, Nigeria included.
Trade between China and Africa hit $207.4 billion in the first half of 2026, the highest figure ever recorded for that period.
Imports of African seafood, textile materials and speciality fruits all grew by more than 10%, while the removal of tariffs was estimated to have lifted Africa’s total exports to China by 6%.
“Nigeria’s performance has been particularly impressive. In the first half of this year, bilateral trade between China and Nigeria reached 17.4 billion US dollars, up 35 percent year on year.
China’s imports from Nigeria amounted to 2.25 billion US dollars, representing a remarkable increase of 81 percent,” he said.
Nigeria’s exports to China also saw a significant rise, with Yang revealing that shipments from the country grew by more than 40% year-on-year in May and June.
The Chinese director revealed that Nigerian businesses could take advantage of the growing demand by sending more agricultural products, raw materials and other specialised goods to China, as reported by the Punch.
Outside of trade, Yang spoke about China’s approach to working with African countries in the mining industry.
He noted that the Asian country wanted partnerships that recognise each country’s right to control its mineral resources, deliver benefits to both sides and create room for fair competition and investment.
He also touched on security in Africa, saying Chinese President Xi Jinping had set out four principles to guide efforts to resolve conflicts across the continent.
The idea centers around a call for African countries to be at the forefront of resolving their own conflicts, ensure that all sides are treated fairly, work towards ending violence and finding peaceful solutions, and tackle not just the immediate causes of conflict but also the problems behind them.
According to Yang, China supported Africa’s right to make its own decisions about the kind of development it wants to pursue.
