Ireland’s Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond, has described Nigeria as “an economic powerhouse,” highlighting its role as Ireland’s third-largest import market in Africa.
According to Ireland’s Central Statistics Office, imports from Nigeria hit €97 million in 2023, trailing only Egypt and South Africa.
“There’s huge opportunities with Nigeria… massive Irish interest in Nigeria, increasing economic opportunities to West Africa,” Richmond told Forbes Africa. Ireland exported 33,000 tonnes of brewing malt to Nigeria—key to its beverage industry.
Despite the growing trade, the flow is largely one-sided. Ireland exported 150,548 tonnes to Nigeria, while imports stood at 1,846 tonnes, mostly petroleum products.
Funmi Abikanlu, a Nigerian banker in Ireland, noted, “The export from Nigeria to Ireland hasn’t had the same level of growth.” He called for state-level trade ambassadors and a shift from diaspora-led consumption to business investment to balance trade.