Nigeria entered 2025 with a fragile however enhancing macroeconomic outlook that set the stage for a surprisingly lively yr in company deal-making.
After years of elevated costs and coverage realignment, headline inflation moderated to about 14.45% by November 2025, considerably decrease than ranges earlier within the yr, whereas enterprise confidence continued to climb, reflecting a gradual easing of value pressures and extra stability in key markets.
Development projections for the interval had been cautiously optimistic. Analysts reported real GDP expansion around 3.6% to 4.5% in 2025, pushed by stronger non-oil exercise whilst structural constraints persevered, and worldwide establishments just like the IMF lifted development forecasts on the again of reform momentum.
Wanting forward, Nigeria’s central financial institution projected financial development of 4.49% in 2026 with inflation anticipated to ease additional to a mean of 12.94%, signaling widening macro stability into the brand new yr.
But the enterprise surroundings nonetheless faces headwinds vitality and infrastructure gaps, regulatory bottlenecks and lingering financing frictions proceed to mood the benefit of doing enterprise and investor sentiment.
Regardless of these constraints, 2025 consolidated a few of the largest company transactions within the nation’s latest historical past, with billion-dollar offers throughout vitality, energy and strategic sectors that confirmed sustained investor curiosity and the resilience of Nigeria’s capital markets.
Deal worth-$53 million
In January 2025, remittance-focused fintech LemFi secured $53 million in a Series B funding round to accelerate its European expansion. The spherical was led by London-based growth-stage investor Highland Europe, with participation from current backers Endeavor Catalyst, Left Lane Capital, Palm Drive Capital, and Y Combinator, bringing LemFi’s complete funding to $85 million.
The Lagos-founded firm, which serves African immigrants throughout 22 nations, deliberate to make use of the capital to broaden its service choices, strengthen cost community licenses, and ship hyper-localized options.
The European push adopted a partnership with Modulr and the acquisition of an Eire-based agency, enabling LemFi to begin impartial operations forward of its anticipated European license subsequent month.
Based in 2019 by Nigerian Ridwan Olalere and European Rian Cochran, LemFi employed over 300 workers throughout Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, with contemporary hiring anticipated to help speedy development.
