Nigeria is set to receive more than $9.5 million following a new asset recovery agreement linked to the United Kingdom, reinforcing long-standing cooperation between both countries in the fight against corruption. The funds, recovered from Jersey, will be returned to the Nigerian government for use in public infrastructure projects, Business Insider Africa reported.
According to a statement from the British High Commission in Abuja, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in December 2025 by Mark Temple, the UK’s Attorney General for Jersey, alongside representatives of the Nigerian government. The agreement establishes the framework for repatriating assets confiscated in Jersey that are connected to corruption involving senior Nigerian officials.
This latest recovery builds on two previous asset return agreements between Jersey and Nigeria, through which more than $300 million has already been sent back to the country. Those earlier funds were applied to major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge, under international monitoring arrangements aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability.
UK authorities said the new MoU reflects a wider commitment by the UK government and its Crown Dependencies to assist Nigeria in tracing, seizing, and returning proceeds of corruption hidden overseas. Over time, this cooperation has become a key element of bilateral engagement on governance and economic reform.
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Under the terms of the agreement, the $9.5 million will support three major road projects: the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge, and the Abuja-Kano Road.
With the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge already completed, the recovered funds are expected to be directed toward the 375-kilometre Abuja-Kano Highway, a critical route linking Nigeria’s capital to its second-largest city and an important corridor for trade and movement across northern Nigeria.
The British High Commission said the forfeiture process began on November 29, 2023, when Jersey’s Attorney General applied to the Royal Court of Jersey under the Forfeiture of Assets (Civil Proceedings) (Jersey) Law 2018.
On January 12, 2024, the court issued a forfeiture order after determining that the funds were proceeds of corruption, involving third-party contractors who diverted government resources for the benefit of senior Nigerian officials.
Commenting on the ruling, Temple said the case demonstrated the effectiveness of Jersey’s civil forfeiture regime in tackling financial crime. He described the return of the funds as proof that strong legislation, combined with international cooperation, can produce tangible outcomes in combating corruption.
Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said the recovery highlighted the importance of collaboration with international partners. He added that the agreement sent a clear signal that foreign jurisdictions should not be safe havens for illicit wealth.
Fagbemi also assured Jersey and the UK that the returned funds would be used strictly in line with the terms of the MoU, noting that asset recovery remains a vital part of Nigeria’s broader efforts to strengthen governance, rebuild public trust, and channel recovered assets into projects with clear economic and social benefits.
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