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Nigeria suffers nearly N1tn export loss after Trump tariff

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Nigeria’s exports to the United States fell by N940.98bn in the first nine months of 2025, even as imports from America more than doubled, reversing the trade balance that favoured Nigeria a year earlier, findings from the National Bureau of Statistics’ foreign trade data have shown.

An analysis of the NBS figures for Q1–Q3 2024 and Q1–Q3 2025 showed that Nigeria exported goods worth N3.65tn to the US in the first nine months of 2025, down from N4.59tn recorded in the corresponding period of 2024, representing a decline of 20.5 per cent or N940.98bn.

Over the same nine-month period, Nigeria’s imports from the US rose sharply to N6.80tn from N3.01tn, an increase of 125.5 per cent or N3.78tn, indicating that Nigeria bought far more from the US than it sold to the market in 2025.

This left Nigeria with a trade deficit of about N3.15tn with the United States in the first nine months of 2025, compared with a trade surplus of N1.57tn in the corresponding period of 2024.

The deterioration coincided with Washington’s implementation of its “reciprocal” tariff regime, under which Donald Trump signed an executive order raising Nigeria’s tariff rate from 14 per cent to 15 per cent.

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The order, issued late July, took effect on August 7, 2025. Although crude oil has been exempted in several cases, the higher duty applies directly to a wide range of non-oil Nigerian exports, creating uncertainty for American importers and dampening demand ahead of and after the effective date.

With crude oil exports largely exempted from the new tariff regime, non-oil exports appear to have borne the brunt of the disruption. In the first nine months of 2024, Nigeria’s exports to the US rose steadily quarter-on-quarter, from N1.31tn in Q1 to N1.59tn in Q2 and N1.69tn in Q3.

Imports, by contrast, remained relatively moderate at N1.01tn, N965.50bn, and N1.04tn respectively. This resulted in trade surpluses of N301.94bn in Q1, N620.99bn in Q2, and N649.71bn in Q3, culminating in a cumulative surplus of N1.57tn for the nine-month period.

That trend reversed sharply in 2025. Although exports opened the year at N1.54tn in Q1, they fell to N1.36tn in Q2 and then plunged to N743.63bn in Q3. Imports followed the opposite trajectory, rising from N1.42tn in Q1 to N2.16tn in Q2 and surging further to N3.22tn in Q3.

Quarter-on-quarter analysis showed that exports declined by 11.9 per cent between Q1 and Q2 2025, before collapsing by 45.3 per cent between Q2 and Q3. Imports, meanwhile, jumped by 51.8 per cent between Q1 and Q2 and rose by another 49.1 per cent between Q2 and Q3, rapidly widening Nigeria’s trade deficit with the US.

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On a year-on-year basis, exports to the US grew by 17.7 per cent in Q1 2025 compared with Q1 2024, but the trend reversed thereafter. Exports fell by 14.3 per cent in Q2 2025 compared with Q2 2024 and plunged by 56.0 per cent in Q3 2025 relative to Q3 2024.

Imports increased sharply across all quarters, rising by 40.9 per cent in Q1, 123.5 per cent in Q2, and 209.4 per cent in Q3. The sharp contraction in export earnings explains why the United States dropped out of Nigeria’s top five export destinations by Q2 and Q3 of 2025, despite remaining one of Nigeria’s largest sources of imports.

Product-level data from the NBS further shows the imbalance. In Q1 2025, Nigeria’s exports to the US were dominated by crude petroleum oils valued at N779.38bn, followed by urea at N240.17bn and kerosene-type jet fuel at N214.30bn. Other export items included petroleum gases in gaseous state valued at N95.97bn and standard quality cocoa beans at N58.84bn.

Imports from the US in Q1 2025 were led by crude petroleum oils worth N726.84bn, alongside used diesel vehicles above 2,500cc valued at N93.51bn, lubricating oil additives at N60.12bn, soya beans at N45.04bn, and butanes at N32.85bn.

By Q2 2025, Nigeria’s export basket to the US had narrowed significantly, led by cocoa beans worth N37.39bn and urea valued at N106.44bn, alongside technically specified natural rubber at N10.43bn and leather products valued at N127.22m.

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Imports, however, expanded sharply, with crude petroleum oils alone valued at N1.34tn, followed by used vehicles, wheat, motor spirit, and denatured alcohol. In Q3 2025, exports dwindled further to relatively minor items such as soya bean flour valued at N23.60bn, cocoa powder preparations worth N36.83m, and technically specified natural rubber valued at N5.03bn.

Imports from the US continued to surge, with crude petroleum oils rising to N2.31tn, alongside strong inflows of used vehicles, wheat, and industrial plastics. With the US no longer among Nigeria’s top five export destinations by mid-2025 and imports accelerating rapidly, the figures highlight growing structural weaknesses in Nigeria’s trade position and the vulnerability of its export earnings to external policy shifts.

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Three Dead as Warri-Itakpe Train Derails in Delta, NRC Confirms

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The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed the death of three persons following the derailment of the Warri-Itakpe train in Agbor, Delta State.
The corporation disclosed that four coaches left the rail track during the incident, which occurred on Monday, June 8, 2026.
In a statement, the Managing Director of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, said emergency response teams and other relevant authorities were immediately mobilised to the scene to manage the situation and provide assistance to affected passengers.
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed a serious train accident involving the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) corridor at Agbor, Delta State,” the statement said.
According to Opeifa, rescue and emergency response operations were activated immediately after the accident, and all passengers on board have since been accounted for.
“Sadly, three fatalities have been confirmed at this time,” he stated.
He added that relevant authorities are continuing to assess the full circumstances surrounding the incident, while support is being provided to injured and affected passengers.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and loved ones during this difficult time,” Opeifa said.
The NRC urged members of the public to rely only on verified information and official updates from the corporation as investigations into the cause of the derailment continue.

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Newlywed Woman Disappears After Discovering Husband Had Two Children

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A newly married Nigerian woman who was recently declared missing by her family in Abuja has reportedly left her matrimonial home after discovering that her husband allegedly had two children with different women.

The woman, from Mbabum Community in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, had been the subject of a public appeal by her family, who sought assistance in locating her after she allegedly left her husband’s residence in Abuja.

According to a statement attributed to a family representative, Hon. Goshi Peter, the woman married Goshi Bem in March 2026 but left her matrimonial home about two weeks ago and had not returned.

However, in an update shared on Saturday, June 6, 2026, a Facebook user, Tyom Alexander, claimed she had spoken with the woman by phone.

According to Alexander, the woman said she left her husband’s home after discovering that he had two children from different women, information she alleged was not disclosed to her before their marriage.

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“I have been able to speak with this woman through the phone number provided by the whistleblower,” Alexander wrote.

“She said her husband didn’t tell her that he had children before their marriage. She only discovered this after they relocated to Abuja.

“The first child is five years old, while the second child is two years old, both from different mothers.”

Alexander further claimed that the woman stated she was safe and still in Abuja, and reportedly warned her husband not to bother searching for her.

“According to her, the man should not bother looking for her as she is doing fine in Abuja,” Alexander added.

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“If this is true, then the man has disappointed me. I wait to hear the man’s side of the story.”

As of the time of filing this report, the husband’s response to the allegations had not been made public.

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Consultant Laments Fate Of 200,000 kms Of Nigerian Roads

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By Okey Maduforo Awka

The fate of Nigerian roads especially the highways appears to be under threat of this year’s rainy season following fears by professionals that the over 200,000 kilometers of roads may collapse by the end of the year .

Deepening this apprehension is the lack of maintenance of those roads which have yearly carried loafs above it’s capacity occasioned by heavy duty trucks and tankers .

Expressing these fears , Consultant Engineer to the Federal government Patience Aningo noted that if urgent steps are not taken this year’s rainy season would spell doom for motorists and other road users across the country.

“Without consistent enforcement of axle load limits, and steady maintenance of our federal highways there strong indications that the country is at the risk of loosing over 200,000 kilometers of roads ”

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“Roads require precision from proper compaction to correct layer thickness”

“By then, what could have been addressed with minor engineering challenges would become a huge cost of maintenance”

“The frustrations lies a deeper issue and the persistent failure of roads that should last far longer is compromised by laxity on the part of the authorities concerned”

“The outcomes are sometimes undermined by weak supervision, inconsistent material quality, and cost”

She observed that poor drainage system has also been the bane of the Federal roads in the country.

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“Nigeria has one of the largest road networks in Africa estimated at over 200,000 kilometers yet a
One major factor is inadequate drainage”

“Roads are not just paved surfaces; they are engineered drainage
systems, sealing cracks, and timely patching remains underutilized, despite its proven
underlying soil, and accelerates structural deterioration”

“In a country with intense seasonal rainfall, neglecting drainage is one
of the fastest ways to shorten a road’s lifespan.’

“Regulations must be enforced consistently to protect infrastructure investments”

“Similarly, the Abuja–Kaduna Highway remains a critical but vulnerable route, where
pavement distress and operational challenges continue to highlight the strain placed on key compromise
during construction directly reduces durability and increases long-term costs”

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“Drainage must be treated as a core design element, not an afterthought which affects Axle load against
what they were originally designed for”

“Heavy-duty trucks often overloaded introduce stresses that affect the roads ”

“Many Nigerian roads now carry traffic volumes and axle loads far beyond routes in the country
and despite ongoing reconstruction efforts, sections have deteriorated quickly ”

“When water is not properly managed, it penetrates the pavement layers, weakens the
This pattern is evident on major corridors such as the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, one of the busiest in the country “she stated.

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Enugu Govt Dismisses Viral UNN Attack Alert, Moves to Track Perpetrators

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Enugu Govt Dismisses Viral UNN Attack Alert, Moves to Track Perpetrator
The Enugu State Government has dismissed as false and misleading a viral social media post alleging an imminent terrorist attack on the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), assuring students, staff, and residents that there is no credible security threat to the institution.
The government described the post as the handiwork of criminal elements seeking to create panic, fear, and confusion within the university community and across the state.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Malachy Agbo, said the government had taken note of the viral message warning of a possible attack by individuals described as terrorists and jihadists.
According to him, investigations indicate that the alarm is false and part of a deliberate attempt by criminal elements and their collaborators to undermine public confidence in the state’s security efforts.
Agbo recalled that similar false alerts had been circulated in the past concerning locations such as Holy Ghost, Obollo Afor, Opi, Nsukka, Gariki, Awgu, and other parts of the state. He noted that those behind previous misinformation campaigns often operated anonymously and recycled old videos to create the impression of ongoing attacks.
He added that many of the perpetrators of the earlier false alarms were eventually identified and apprehended by security agencies.
The commissioner disclosed that the state government is already working closely with security agencies to track down those responsible for the latest viral post and ensure they face the consequences of their actions.
Reaffirming the administration’s commitment to public safety, Agbo said the government had continued to invest heavily in modern security infrastructure and technology to strengthen security operations across the state.
He stressed that the protection of lives and property remains a top priority of the administration of Peter Mbah, noting that recent investments have significantly improved the capacity and responsiveness of security agencies operating in the state.
The government therefore urged members of the UNN community, residents of Nsukka, and the general public to remain calm and continue their lawful activities without fear, assuring them that adequate measures are in place to guarantee their safety.
It further reiterated its resolve to sustain efforts aimed at maintaining peace and security across Enugu State while taking decisive action against individuals who spread false information capable of causing public panic.

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METHODIST CHURCH HONOURS MONDAY DIAMOND ANI WITH “APOSTLE OF FAITH” AWARD

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The Methodist Church Nigeria has honoured the General Manager of the Enugu State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Hon. Monday Diamond Ani, with the prestigious “Apostle of Faith Award” in recognition of his outstanding humanitarian services and contributions to community development.
The award was presented by the Methodist Diocese of Akegbe, Aninri and Awgu Archdiocese (AAA) under the leadership of Rt. Rev. C. Orji, the Methodist Bishop of AAA Diocese, Enugu.
According to the Church, the honour was bestowed on Hon. Ani in acknowledgment of his selfless commitment to community development, social welfare, and humanitarian service over the years. The Church noted that his contributions have transcended political considerations and have positively impacted countless lives across communities.
His consistent humanitarian interventions have earned him the popular title “Odoziobodo”, meaning “one who builds and restores communities.”
Hon. Ani is widely regarded as a passionate advocate for community service, driven by a desire to improve living standards and promote love, unity, and a sense of belonging among the people. His dedication reflects Christ’s teaching on the greatest commandment—love for God and love for one’s neighbour—placing service to humanity at the centre of purposeful living.
Due to his unavoidable absence, the award was received on his behalf and later presented to him at his office by Dr. Okechukwu Animba, Vice President (South-East) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
Responding to the honour, Hon. Ani expressed profound gratitude to Rt. Rev. C. Orji and the entire Methodist Diocese for recognising his humanitarian efforts. He prayed for God’s continued grace and strength to serve humanity and touch more lives through his work.
He also appreciated his principal, the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, for appointing him to lead the CSDA, an agency charged with driving community interventions and sustainable development across the state.

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