The United Kingdom has launched a new £15 million Growth Programme aimed at helping Nigeria attract more investment, strengthen economic reforms and accelerate long-term growth.
The announcement was made during a two-day visit to Nigeria by Baroness Jenny Chapman, the UK minister for Africa and International Development, who met with key government officials in Abuja and Kaduna.
The new programme, unveiled alongside Taiwo Oyedele, Nigeria’s minister of Finance and coordinating minister of the Economy, is expected to run for three years. It is designed to support Nigeria’s transition from economic stabilisation to sustainable growth driven by reforms, private sector investment and improved business conditions.
The initiative is one of the strongest signals yet that the UK is deepening its economic engagement with Nigeria at a time when the country is pursuing major fiscal, tax and investment reforms.
Speaking on the programme, Oyedele described the UK-Nigeria relationship as one of the most important partnerships for both countries.
He said the relationship has evolved beyond traditional ties and now focuses on development, growth and shared prosperity.
According to him, the UK-Nigeria Growth Programme will support capital market development, technology investment, small businesses and technical assistance.
“We continue to value the UK–Nigeria relationship, one of the most important partnerships for both our countries. Today, that relationship extends beyond traditional ties and now focuses on development, growth, and shared prosperity,” Oyedele said.
He added that the programme would help unlock opportunities that could deliver lasting benefits and drive progress for both nations.
Beyond the growth initiative, the UK also announced stronger cooperation in Nigeria’s digital economy through the SPRIRET initiative under the UK’s Digital Access Programme.
The project will support digital governance reforms in five Nigerian states, reduce regulatory bottlenecks and encourage investment in broadband infrastructure, digital services and emerging technologies.
Analysts say the move aligns with Nigeria’s ambition to build a stronger digital economy while attracting more local and foreign investment into the technology sector.
During the visit, Chapman also met with Nigeria’s minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, where discussions focused on expanding trade and investment opportunities under the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP).
The talks covered export promotion, fintech development and stronger links between Nigerian and British capital markets.
In Kaduna State, the UK minister met governor Uba Sani to review more than two decades of cooperation between the UK and Kaduna State and explore new opportunities for collaboration.
She also engaged with business leaders and institutional investors on investment opportunities and climate finance initiatives.
The minister visited community animal health workers and livestock breeders benefiting from UK-backed support programmes on breeding techniques, animal health and livestock vaccines.
She further toured the Unguwan Sanusi Primary Health Care Centre in Kaduna South, which serves about 20,000 residents, where she met patients and frontline health workers benefiting from UK-supported health interventions.
At the end of the visit, Chapman said the trip reinforced her confidence in the future of UK-Nigeria relations.
“This visit has reinforced everything I believe about the UK–Nigeria partnership. That it is deep, it is real, and it is moving in the right direction. From launching our new Growth Programme with Honourable Minister Oyedele, to meeting from frontline health workers in Kaduna — every conversation this week has shown me a country full of ambition and a partnership that is genuinely delivering for both sides.
“Nigeria is a partner that the UK is proud to stand alongside and I leave more convinced than ever that the next chapter of this partnership is its most exciting yet. The UK is here for the long term, and we are ready to grow together,” Chapman added.
The latest announcement builds on substantial UK investments already flowing into Nigeria.
Read also: UK considers easing work visa rules, Nigerian professionals
According to the British High Commission, British International Investment has invested nearly $800 million across agriculture, renewable energy and manufacturing sectors in Nigeria.
In addition, UK Export Finance is supporting the rehabilitation and expansion of Lagos ports through a financing package worth about $1 billion, a move expected to improve trade logistics and stimulate wider economic activity.
The UK also highlighted the growing presence of Nigerian companies in Britain, noting that seven Nigerian banks now operate in the UK, while London is increasingly serving as a gateway for Nigerian firms seeking access to international capital markets.
The launch of the Growth Programme comes months after President Bola Tinubu’s State Visit to the UK and follows ongoing efforts by both countries to strengthen economic cooperation, attract investment and create jobs.
For Nigeria, the £15 million programme represents more than development support. It signals growing international confidence in the country’s reform agenda and its ambition to become a more competitive destination for global investment.
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