The study examined the relationship between foreign direct investment and real sector performance in Nigeria adopting time series data ranging from 1981 to 2018. Foreign direct investment was captured by exchange rate, remittance, trade openness and GDP while real sector performance was measured by manufacturing and agricultural sector output. Data involved in this study were secondary. ARDL regression technique was used to carry out the analysis. The co-integration results of the two models indicates that there is the existence of longrun relationship between foreign direct investment and real sector within the period of study, based on these findings, the study recommended that the government should focus on facilitating and providing incentives on the transfer of more remittance through official channels, adequate security and basic infrastructural amenities should be in place to attract foreign and domestic investment.

Keywords: Foreign direct investment; Manufacturing sector, Agricultural Sector; Remittance, GDP, Trade Openness, Exchange Rate

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1591-1141