Nigerian investment inflow falls by N2.3tn over the past three years

Nigerian investment flow in the previous three years has declined as a result of economic slowdown in the country. The country's investment inflow declined to $11.68 billion, or N2.3 trillion, over the previous three-year period. There had been a vast decline in the country's portfolio and direct investments since 2013.

Net investment inflow was $21.32 billion, or N4.2 trillion, during 2013, PUNCH said quoting a data report by the National Bureau of Statistics. The data also showed that the investment inflow figure declined to N4.08tn in 2014 and to N1.89tn in 2015. Net investment inflow amounted to N10.18tn during the period from 2013 January to 2015 December.

According to the report, investment factors like portfolio investment, foreign direct investment and other related investments dropped vigorously in the previous three-year period. Investment inflow from foreign direct amounted to $1.28 billion in 2013. However, the foreign inflow increased to $2.27 billion in 2014 tailed by a drop in 2015 to $1.44 billion.

Investment in stocks, which contributed a huge portion to the net investment inflow, totalled $1.25 billion in 2013. Nigeria recorded stock investments of $2.26 billion and $1.44 billion in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Aminu Isah Kontagora, former military colonel, said that the nation's economy has been struggling since 2010. Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan abolished fuel subsidy as part of his economic reform strategy, which was protested by the opposition party. According to him, the Nigerian economy lacked lubrication and that the SURE-P agenda was aimed to lubricate the nation's economy. Poor domestic spending has halted the manufacturing sector that resulted in an economic slowdown across the country, as reported by DAILY TRUST.

Portfolio investment, which is built by investment tools such as capital market, stocks and bonds, amounted to $17.37 billion in 2013. However, the country's portfolio investment faced two successive years drop in 2014 and 2015 to $14.92 billion and $6.01 billion respectively.

Portfolio investments accounted for roughly 61.18% of the total imported capital during the last three-month period in 2015. While equity investments contributed 83.16% to the net imported investments. According to National Bureau of Statistics, these gloomy investment numbers attributed to Nigeria's current economic slowdown.

Nigerian Bulletin quoted Muhammadu Buhari, president of Nigeria, who blamed past governments for depending merely on revenues from crude oil. He added that it is in the hands of OPEC countries to save global markets from the ongoing crude slump. The oil producer is affected by the fall in global oil markets and Buhari held Nigeria responsible for its own economic downfall.

The oil producer is facing many challenges owing to the global oil fall. The government is implementing various economic strategies to uplift the country from this horrible economic situation. Investors lost their buoyancy in the economy after the elimination of Nigeria in 2014 from JPMorgan Bond Index.