Nigeria’s portfolio investment inflows rose by 45 per cent quarter-on-quarter to $6.51 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up from $4.49 billion in the preceding quarter, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The increase represents an additional $2.02 billion in portfolio investment during the quarter, reflecting higher inflows into the country’s financial assets, particularly debt securities.
Data from the CBN’s Q2 2026 Statistical Bulletin showed that portfolio investment stood at $5.81 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025 before rising to $5.55 billion in the first quarter of 2026 and subsequently reaching $6.51 billion in the second quarter.
Debt securities accounted for the bulk of portfolio investment, increasing to $4.97 billion in Q2 2026 from $4.28 billion in the preceding quarter.
Equity and investment fund shares recorded a marginal increase to $1.54 billion from $1.53 billion over the same period, indicating that debt instruments remained the dominant component of portfolio inflows.
On a year-on-year basis, portfolio investment increased by approximately 26.4 per cent from $5.15 billion recorded in the second quarter of 2025.
The increase comes amid the Federal Government’s efforts to attract domestic and foreign capital to support economic growth, infrastructure development and private-sector investment.
Nigeria recently unveiled 65 investment projects requiring a combined $78.5 billion in capital, as part of efforts to attract investors, create jobs and accelerate economic expansion.
In June 2026, the Federal Government also announced plans to establish a Nigeria Deal Room to help convert investment opportunities into bankable transactions and address regulatory bottlenecks that could delay project implementation.
The initiatives form part of broader efforts to improve investment mobilisation and strengthen private-sector participation in the economy.
Portfolio investment differs from foreign direct investment because it generally involves financial assets such as shares and debt securities rather than a lasting management interest in a business.
Consequently, portfolio inflows can fluctuate with investor sentiment, financial market conditions, interest rate expectations and changes in the relative attractiveness of domestic assets.
Separately, the World Bank Group was reported to be supporting efforts to mobilise up to $5.79 billion in private financing for Nigeria in fiscal year 2026, with the programmes expected to support about 850,000 direct and indirect jobs.