Report shows Nigeria spent £1.1bn on UK refined oil in 2025

Nigeria spent about £1.1 billion on refined petroleum products imported from the United Kingdom in 2025, according to a new trade report.

This shows that Nigeria is still heavily dependent on imported fuel, even though the government is trying to increase local refining.

The report from the UK Department for Business and Trade revealed that refined oil made up about 60.5% of all goods the UK exported to Nigeria during the year. The value also increased by 9.4% compared to the previous year.

UK exports to Nigeria were worth £1.8 billion in total, meaning refined oil alone accounted for more than half of all goods sold. The next largest export items were much smaller in value, including cleaning products, textile materials, machinery, and tobacco-related goods.

Overall, total trade between the UK and Nigeria (goods and services combined) reached £7.6 billion in 2025, up 10.8% from the previous year. UK exports to Nigeria rose to £5.5 billion, while imports from Nigeria stood at £2.1 billion.

Services made up the largest part of UK exports to Nigeria, but goods still formed an important share. The UK also maintained a trade surplus of £3.3 billion with Nigeria.

Nigeria remains an important trading partner for the UK in Africa, ranking among its top global export destinations. Trade between both countries has grown steadily over the past decade.

The report also noted that Nigeria is working to reduce fuel imports by boosting local refining, including through new and rehabilitated refineries.