Foreign Investment Outflow Surges 250.86% to ₦420.37bn on NGX in Q1 2025
Lagos, Nigeria — May 2025
The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) has reported a sharp rise in foreign investment outflow from the stock market, increasing by 250.86% to ₦420.37 billion in Q1 2025, compared to ₦119.81 billion in the same period in 2024.
This was revealed in NGX’s Domestic & Foreign Portfolio Investment Report, which also showed that foreign investment inflow grew year-on-year by 275%, hitting ₦349.97 billion in Q1 2025, up from ₦93.37 billion in Q1 2024.
Despite the increase in inflows, foreign outflows exceeded inflows by ₦20.11 billion, reflecting sustained capital flight pressures.
Total Market Turnover Hits ₦2.23 Trillion
The Exchange disclosed that total transactions—combining foreign and domestic investors—amounted to ₦2.23 trillion in Q1 2025, a 44.8% increase from the ₦1.54 trillion recorded in Q1 2024.
Foreign investors accounted for ₦814.05 billion, while domestic investors contributed ₦1.41 trillion, indicating strong market activity from both fronts.
March 2025 Sees Unprecedented Spike
According to the report, the month of March witnessed a 118.95% month-on-month increase, with total transactions rising to ₦1.1155 trillion ($725.86 million), compared to ₦509.47 billion ($341.36 million) in February.
Year-on-year, March 2025 transactions rose by 107.14% from ₦538.54 billion in March 2024.
Foreign investors dominated the March market, outperforming domestic investors by 26%, as foreign transactions surged by a staggering 1,541% to ₦699.89 billion ($455.41 million) from ₦42.65 billion ($28.57 million) in February.
Domestic Participation Declines
While foreign activity increased, domestic investment showed a decline:
- Domestic transactions dropped 10.98% MoM, from ₦466.82 billion in February to ₦415.62 billion in March.
- Domestic inflow fell 26.78% from ₦236.32 billion in February to ₦205.95 billion in March.
- Domestic outflow dropped 17.53% in Q1, with March recording ₦209.67 billion, down from ₦254.26 billion in January.
These figures indicate investor caution and possibly shifting interest to other asset classes or markets.
