The United States government has said that corruption remains a substantial barrier to trade and investment in Nigeria.
In its latest 2025 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, the Office of the United States Trade Representative said corruption and lack of transparency in tender processes are of great concern to U.S. companies.
“U.S. firms experience difficulties in day-to-day operations as a result of inappropriate demands from officials for ‘facilitative’ payments.
“Efforts to strengthen anticorruption measures have been hampered by inter-ministerial infighting and partisan politics.
“Questions also remain regarding the Nigerian justice system’s capacity to achieve convictions and appropriate sentencing for corruption-related crimes.”
It also faulted Nigeria for the continued delay in approving import permits for American agricultural products, describing the situation as a longstanding trade barrier that has hindered access to the Nigerian market.
It said that despite repeated efforts to secure market access, Nigeria had not acted on several pending requests concerning food and agricultural imports from the US.
The US National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers stated, “Since 2019, the United States has sought to negotiate import permits for the export of several categories of US food and agricultural products. Nigeria has been slow to approve these requests.” Festival, Nigeria, Ghana facing brain drain, others
The USTR noted that Nigeria’s weak capacity to review certificates, inspect goods, and conduct testing had contributed to long clearance delays, forcing many traders to rely on informal channels.
It also criticised Nigeria’s lack of consistency in applying sanitary and phytosanitary rules, saying this had created confusion among exporters.
The US government also took issue with Nigeria’s complex and restrictive import regime.
Credit: channelstv.com
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