The United Kingdom imported more refined petroleum products than crude oil from Nigeria in the year to March 2026, according to a new factsheet from the UK’s Department for Business and Trade.
Refined oil shipments from Nigeria to the UK were valued at £674.5 million, or 47.5 per cent of UK goods imports from Nigeria in the 12 months ended March 2026. Crude oil ranked second at £438.9 million (30.9 per cent), while natural gas accounted for £179.3 million (12.6 per cent).
The report said crude oil imports from Nigeria fell sharply—down 64.3 per cent from the previous year—while natural gas imports rose 6.9 per cent.
Growth rates for refined products and some other items were suppressed by the Office for National Statistics where percentage changes exceed 100 per cent from a low base.
By value, refined petroleum products have overtaken crude oil as Nigeria’s top goods export to the UK, a notable shift in the composition of energy trade between the countries. Beyond fuels, the UK’s leading goods imports from Nigeria included coffee, tea and cocoa products (£29.3 million, 2.1 per cent) and processed fertilisers (£25.2 million, 1.8 per cent).
