Britain imported more refined petroleum products from Nigeria than crude oil for the first time in the year to March 2026, marking a shift in the two countries’ energy trade.

Refined petroleum products were valued at £674.5 million during the period, making them the largest category of British goods imports from Nigeria. They accounted for 47.5 per cent of the UK’s total goods imports from the country.

The development came as Nigeria’s crude oil exports to the UK recorded a sharp decline. Crude shipments dropped by 64.3 per cent, falling below refined petroleum products in value for the first time in the latest trade figures.

The change reflects a broader shift in Nigeria’s petroleum trade, with refined products gaining a larger share of exports to Britain as crude oil shipments weakened.

Despite the rise in Nigerian refined fuel exports, the UK also remained a significant supplier of petroleum products to Nigeria. British exports of refined petroleum products to Nigeria stood at £725.6 million over the same period.

Overall, trade between the UK and Nigeria fell by 3.4 per cent to £7.3 billion in the 12 months to March 2026. The decline was largely linked to weaker imports from Nigeria.

The latest figures highlight the changing composition of energy trade between both countries, as refined petroleum products increasingly replace crude oil as a major component of Nigeria’s exports to the UK.