Oil exports lift Nigeria-UK trade to £7.6bn

Nigeria’s crude oil exports helped drive total trade with the United Kingdom to £7.6bn in 2025, according to new data released by the UK Department for Business and Trade.

A fact sheet obtained in Abuja showed that crude oil remained Nigeria’s largest export to the UK, with purchases valued at £719.2m—nearly half of all goods imported from the country. The UK also imported £514.3m worth of refined petroleum products and £167.8m worth of gas from Nigeria.

Other exports from Nigeria to the UK included coffee, tea and cocoa worth £17.9m, alongside processed fertilisers valued at £17.2m.

Overall trade in goods and services between both countries rose by 10.8 per cent, or £737m, compared with the previous year. UK imports from Nigeria stood at £2.1bn, reflecting an 11.3 per cent increase. Of this, goods accounted for £1.5bn, while services contributed £614m.

Imports of goods from Nigeria recorded a notable rise of 18.8 per cent, while services imports declined slightly by 3.5 per cent within the same period.

On the export side, the UK exported goods and services worth £5.5bn to Nigeria, up by 10.5 per cent year-on-year. Goods made up £1.8bn of this figure, while services dominated with £3.7bn.

Refined oil products led UK exports to Nigeria at £1.1bn, representing over 60 per cent of goods exports. Other key exports included toiletries and cleansing products, textile fabrics, industrial machinery, as well as beverages and tobacco.

The UK recorded a trade surplus of £3.3bn with Nigeria during the period, an increase from £3.0bn in the previous year. While the goods surplus declined slightly, the services surplus rose significantly to £3.1bn.

The report highlighted continued growth in bilateral trade, driven largely by energy exports and strong services exchange between both countries.