Nigeria’s merchandise trade surplus increases sharply in the second quarter of 2026, reaching about N12.59–N12.60 trillion, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Vanguard reports the surplus grows by 66.8% quarter-on-quarter from N7.55 trillion in Q1 2026, while other outlets cite the updated Q2 total of roughly N12.6 trillion.
The NBS foreign trade statistics also show that Q2 2026 total merchandise trade is N41.44 trillion, compared with N39.24 trillion in the same quarter of 2025, indicating a modest year-on-year increase. Legit.ng attributes the widening surplus to exports rising to N27.02 trillion and imports falling significantly year-on-year. Nigerian Eye similarly focuses on the NBS figures for the surplus, without detailing the same breakdown.
Across the reports, the main difference lies in emphasis: Vanguard highlights quarter-on-quarter growth, Legit.ng highlights exports and imports movements, and Nigerian Eye summarizes the NBS totals for surplus and overall trade value.
