Relationship dossier
Nigeria
United Kingdom
Relationship assessment
Longstanding ties with active security, economic and development cooperation
Nigeria toward United Kingdom
+40The Nigerian government has engaged the United Kingdom through bilateral security and defence cooperation and economic ties, while maintaining an active relationship through the Commonwealth. The extent of specific Nigerian government initiatives directed toward the United Kingdom is unclear.
United Kingdom toward Nigeria
+40The UK government has worked with Nigeria on security and defence cooperation and has maintained economic and development engagement. The depth and implementation of these arrangements are not fully clear.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship combines sustained government engagement in security, economic and development matters with longstanding institutional ties. Its breadth is tempered by uncertainty about the implementation and scope of bilateral cooperation, as well as the enduring historical legacy of British colonial rule.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Nigeria and the United Kingdom maintain a substantial relationship shaped by longstanding trade, security cooperation, development ties and Commonwealth links. The governments have pursued bilateral security and economic cooperation, including a security and defence partnership. The relationship also carries the legacy of British colonial rule; the scope and implementation of current cooperation are not fully clear.
Key developments
Nigeria and the United Kingdom established a bilateral security and defence partnership.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral security and defence cooperation are unclear.
- The scale and current priorities of government-to-government economic and development cooperation are uncertain.