Foreign direct investment has been recognized by many research experts as one of the most secure elements of capital inflows capable of triggering economic expansion in developing economies but empirical literature provides mixed results as to what factors are capable of attracting substantial foreign investments into Nigeria. The aim of this paper therefore is to investigate the impact institutional quality has in attracting FDI flows into Nigeria from 1980 -2011. The Vector Error Correcting Model (VECM) is employed to examine the relationship between these macroeconomic variables. The result from the empirical analysis shows that political stability and corruption are major determinants of FDI inflows to Nigeria. Other significant determinants include human capital and trade openness. The study therefore recommends the strengthening of political andeconomic institutions in Nigeria to attract any meaningful foreign investments.