Economy
Nigeria-US Trade Value Hits $13bn
Trade between Nigeria and the United States in goods and services in 2024 stood at approximately $13 billion, according to the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr David Greene Mills.
He made the disclosure yesterday in his address at the Lagos Business School, where he disclosed that US’ foreign direct investment also climbed to $6.5 billion, a 5.5 per cent increase from the previous year, which highlighted renewed investor confidence and a shared commitment to long-term economic engagement.
At the event themed Toward a Robust US-Nigeria Commercial and Investment Partnership, Mr Mills articulated a forward-looking vision built on private sector dynamism, regulatory reform, and strategic cooperation.
The Ambassador praised the Lagos Business School for its role in advancing intellectual and entrepreneurial excellence, highlighting its strategic relocation from Victoria Island to the Lekki corridor—a move he described as visionary.
With his recent visits to the Lagos Free Zone and American companies in Alaro City, Mr Mills pointed to the growing footprint of US enterprises in Nigeria with firms such as Kellogg’s, Colgate-Palmolive, and Caterpillar driving industrial innovation and bilateral trade.
At the heart of his message was the US State Department’s Commercial Diplomacy Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa, launched earlier this year at the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan. This bold strategy marks a pivot from aid-based models to trade-led development, placing economic growth and private sector partnerships at the core of US foreign policy on the continent.
Mr Mills emphasized that Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous nation and the second-largest U.S. trading partner in the region, stands at the center of this strategic shift.
He further highlighted the vibrant people-to-people connections between the two countries, noting that over 20,000 Nigerian students are currently studying in the US—more than from any other African country.
In addition, the Nigerian diaspora in the United States, numbering over 750,000, represents the largest African immigrant community and plays a key role in strengthening cross-border economic and cultural bonds.
To consolidate these ties, Mr Mills announced the upcoming formal launch of the US-Nigeria Commercial and Investment Partnership (CIP)—a five-year bilateral agreement focused on agriculture, digital innovation, and infrastructure development.
The initiative will bring together policymakers and business leaders from both countries to resolve longstanding trade bottlenecks and promote a more predictable regulatory environment.
The Ambassador also praised the efforts of the interagency US Mission team, which includes officials from the Departments of Commerce and Agriculture, the Development Finance Corporation, and other key institutions. In 2024 alone, this team facilitated over 7,000 business-to-business meetings and organized high-level trade missions aimed at unlocking new market opportunities and advancing U.S. commercial interests in Nigeria.
With more than 80 American companies already operating in Nigeria and U.S. venture capital responsible for over 60 percent of all startup funding in the country, the impact of American investment is increasingly visible. Ambassador Mills pointed to successful ventures like Flutterwave, Andela, and Esusu as powerful examples of how education, innovation, and transnational collaboration are shaping a new narrative for African entrepreneurship.
Concluding his remarks, Mr Mills called on American businesses to explore new opportunities in Nigeria and urged Nigerian policymakers to enact reforms that encourage investment and innovation. He challenged young Nigerians to embrace their role in driving economic transformation with bold thinking and a global mindset.
“The United States is committed to strengthening our trade relationship,” he said, “and continuing to work with Nigeria to unlock the full potential of our commercial partnership for the benefit of the people of both our nations.”
Economy
All On Invests $1m in Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited to Strengthen Cold-Chain Infrastructure in Off-Grid Markets
All On, an impact investing company focused on expanding access to renewable energy solutions in Nigeria, has announced a $1 million investment in Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited, a provider of solar-powered refrigeration and cold chain infrastructure.
The investment will support Eja-Ice’s manufacturing and operational scale-up as the company enters its next phase of growth. It is expected to enable the expansion of its cold-chain solutions and improve access to reliable cooling services for households, small businesses, and institutions operating in off-grid and weak-grid environments.
Access to dependable cold storage remains a significant constraint across Nigeria, particularly in coastal and rural communities where limited energy infrastructure contributes to post-harvest losses and income instability for small-scale agro-producers.
By delivering energy-efficient refrigeration systems, Eja-Ice is helping to address these challenges while supporting the preservation of perishable goods and strengthening local value chains.
“All On’s investment in Eja-Ice reflects our approach of supporting solutions that improve energy access while enhancing livelihoods, reducing costs, and enabling businesses to grow. Strengthening cold-chain infrastructure is an important step towards building more resilient local economies and expanding opportunities in underserved markets,” the chief executive of All On, Ms Caroline Eboumbou, commented on the investment.
Eja-Ice’s integrated cold-chain model allows for greater control over product design, operational efficiency, and service delivery, ensuring that its solutions are tailored to the needs of underserved markets. The company’s systems are already supporting micro enterprises, cooperatives, and community-level infrastructure, particularly in areas where reliable electricity remains limited.
Also commenting, the founder and chief executive of Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited, Mr Yusuf Bilesanmi, said, “This capital raise is a huge step forward in our vision to power homes and businesses with products designed, assembled, and optimised right here on the continent. It’s not just about access to electricity—it’s about dignity, productivity, and opportunity for the over 600 million people across sub-Saharan Africa who are still off-grid.”
Through this investment, All On continues to advance its mission of closing Nigeria’s energy access gap by supporting the renewable energy ecosystem and businesses that deliver sustainable, market-driven solutions.

Economy
First Holdco Lists N45bn Private Placement Shares on Stock Exchange
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Shares of First Holdco Plc worth N45.0 billion issued through a private placement have been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
A circular issued by the Head of Issuer Regulation Department of the NGX Regulation Limited, Mr Godstime Iwenekhai, disclosed that the equities were admitted for trading at the stock market on Monday.
According to the notice, the additional shares brought for listing to rank pari passu with existing shares of the organisation were 1,021,334,544 units.
These stocks were sold to one of the company’s major shareholders at a unit price of N44.06, amounting to N45.0 billion.
The total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco, as a result of this listing, are now 45,475,027,677 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.
“Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 1,021,334,544 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of First Holdco Plc were on Monday, June 22, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.
“The additional shares listed on NGX arose from the company’s private placement of 1,021,334,544 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N44.06 per share.
“With the listing of the additional shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco Plc have now increased to 45,475,027,677 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 44,453,693,133 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each,” the disclosure stated.
Economy
AA Rano, Nipco, Matrix, Others Secure Q3 Petrol Import Permits
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has approved fresh import licences for petrol and diesel for the third quarter of 2026 (July – September) to prevent potential supply shortages in the domestic market.
According to a report by global energy intelligence firm, Argus Media, the latest approvals were issued to major downstream operators amid declining fuel stock levels and concerns over reduced petrol production at the 700,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos.
The move comes as Nigeria continues to balance increasing local refining capacity with the need to guarantee adequate supplies of petroleum products across the country.
According to the Argus report, domestic firms, including AA Rano, AYM Shafa, Bono Energy, Nipco, Matrix Energy and Pinnacle Oil, received permits to import Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, during the July-September period.
The publication further reported that the same companies, with the exception of Nipco, were granted approvals to import Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as diesel. The fresh approvals follow an earlier batch of petrol import permits issued by the regulator in May, covering about 720,000 metric tonnes.
Quoting a regulatory source, Argus noted that many of the companies granted the latest approvals were among those that had received permits in previous rounds. “These are some of the same ones that previously received the PMS permits,” the source was quoted as saying.
It was also claimed that AA Rano and Matrix Energy each received approvals to import 180,000 metric tonnes of petrol. AYM Shafa received approval for 120,000 metric tonnes, while Pinnacle Oil received a permit covering 150,000 metric tonnes.
For diesel imports, Argus reported that AYM Shafa obtained a permit for 60,000 metric tonnes, while Pinnacle secured approval for 45,000 metric tonnes. The report stated that the import approvals were issued only recently, after being delayed from an initial target date of June 15.
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