FEDERAL Office of Statistics2026-10-282026-10-281979https://nigeriareposit.nln.gov.ng/handle/20.500.14186/3003The Review of External Trade Nigeria 1979, published by the Federal Office of Statistics in Lagos in 1984, provides a comprehensive statistical and analytical overview of Nigeria's international merchandise trade performance for the year 1979, alongside comparative data spanning from 1975 to 1978. The report indicates a substantial rebound in national commerce, with total merchandise trade reaching N16,566.9 million representing a 14.5 percent increase over the previous year. This economic expansion was primarily driven by exceptional growth in export earnings, which surged by 64.4 percent to N10,371.4 million, overwhelmingly propelled by mineral fuels (crude petroleum) accounting for 95.4 percent of total domestic exports. Conversely, total imports experienced a 24.2 percent decline down to N6,169.2 million, largely resulting from intensified government restrictions on import items. Consequently, Nigeria recorded a significant balance of trade surplus of N4,228.5 million, marking a sharp contrast to the trade deficit of N1,816.0 million registered in 1978. The publication offers granular analyses of import structures across various commodity sections detailing machinery, transport equipment, manufactured goods, and essential food items like sugar, rice, and milk as well as detailed breakdowns of trade direction with major economic partners, including the European Economic Community (E.E.C.), the United States, O.A.U. members, and ECOWAS countries. Supported by extensive statistical tables and appendices, this official government document serves as an essential reference source for researchers, economists, and policymakers examining Nigeria's macroeconomic evolution in the late 1970s.• Total Merchandise Trade • Trade Developments in major primary export commodities • Trade Developments in import of various commodities • Imports by End-Use • Direction of Trade • Title of Tables (covering merchandise trade values, quarterly breakdowns, commodity sections, major exports and imports, end-use analyses, balance of trade, and trade with O.A.U. and ECOWAS countries)en