By Adedapo Adesanya
Thirty-one of the 36 states of the federation recorded zero capital importation during the third quarter of 2023, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
This is as Nigeria attracted a total of $655.4 million as capital investments in the period, 36.5 per cent lower than the $1.03 billion recorded in the preceding quarter and 43.6 per cent lower than the $1.2 billion achieved in the third quarter of 2022.
Capital importation means funds brought in from abroad for investment, trade, and manufacturing within a country.
Out of the 36 states that make up the country, as well as the country’s capital, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, only six states (16 per cent) – Akwa Ibom, Lagos, FCT, Abia, Ogun and Ekiti States attracted foreign capital injection in July, August, and September 2023.
According to NBS, foreign investors brought in their investments into Lagos $308.83 million, FCT $194.66 million, Abia $150.09 million, Ogun $1.00 million, Akwa Ibom got $65,000 while Ekiti got $12,750 in the period under review.
Abia State’s value of $ 150.09 million in the third quarter of 2023, was the highest capital importation for the South East state since 2020 when it attracted $56.07 million.
Nigeria’s capital imports for the first nine months of 2023, comprising the first to the third quarter, totalled $2.82 billion, with $1.13 billion imported in the first quarter, $1.03 billion in the second quarter, and $654.65m in the third quarter of 2023.
The majority of the capital imported into the country in Q3 2023 came from Other Investment accounting $507.77 million (77.6 per cent) followed by Portfolio Investment with 13.3 per cent ($87.11 million) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) with 9.1 per cent ($59.77 million).
The production/manufacturing sector recorded the highest inflow with $279.51 million, representing 42.7 per cent of total capital imported in Q3 2023, followed by the financing sector, valued at $127.93 million (19.5 per cent), and Shares with $85.49 million (13.1 per cent).
The Netherlands was the major source of capital importation during the reference period with $175.62 million and recorded a 26.8 per cent share. This was followed by Singapore with $79.15 million (12.1 per cent) and the United States with $67.04 million (10.2 per cent).
Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc received the highest capital importation into Nigeria in Q3 2023 with $222.84 million (34.0 per cent), followed by Citibank Nigeria Limited with $190.03 million (29.0 per cent) and Zenith Bank Plc with $83.04 (12.7 per cent).
