Foreign portfolio investment on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) surged significantly in May 2025, rising by 88.54 per cent to ₦118.91 billion, up from ₦63.07 billion recorded in April 2025.
According to the Domestic and Foreign Portfolio Investment Report published by NGX, both foreign inflows and outflows increased during the review period. Foreign inflows rose sharply to ₦66.11 billion from ₦26.64 billion in April, while outflows climbed to ₦52.80 billion, compared to ₦36.43 billion in the previous month.
Overall, total transactions on the exchange in May stood at ₦700.50 billion, reflecting a 45.32 per cent increase from ₦482.04 billion in April. Year-on-year, the May 2025 figure represents a 97.11 per cent increase from ₦355.38 billion posted in May 2024.
Despite the sharp uptick in foreign participation, domestic investors continued to dominate, accounting for ₦581.59 billion, or 83.02 per cent of total transaction value. Foreign investors contributed ₦118.91 billion, making up 16.98 per cent of total trades.
The domestic market was largely driven by retail investors, who outperformed institutional players during the month, showing renewed confidence in equities amid improving market sentiment and economic reforms.
The rising trend in foreign portfolio investment signals growing international confidence in Nigeria’s financial markets, supported by ongoing reforms, improved FX liquidity, and robust corporate earnings reports.
Analysts expect the momentum to continue if macroeconomic stability is sustained and investor-friendly policies are deepened in the coming months.
