Nigeria’s dealmaking panorama in 2025 mirrored a 12 months of strategic recalibration, capital consolidation, and selective big-ticket bets throughout the financial system.
From fintech funding rounds and shopper items divestments to vitality megafinancings, energy sector takeovers, and cross-border banking expansions, transaction exercise underscored how capital continued to reposition itself round scale, resilience, and long-term progress.
Curated by the Nairametrics Analysis Crew, this energy record highlights among the most consequential mega offers introduced or accomplished through the 12 months.
The choice is just not exhaustive and spans a number of sectors, together with monetary providers, fintech, vitality, manufacturing, shopper items, agribusiness, and infrastructure, reflecting the breadth of capital flows throughout Nigeria’s financial system.
Past deal measurement, transactions featured on this record had been chosen based mostly on their measurable influence on the financial system, the extent of transparency round deal construction and valuation, and the diploma of completion or regulatory readability achieved throughout the 12 months. In a market the place many giant transactions are introduced however by no means consummated, emphasis was positioned on offers with verifiable execution milestones.
Power, infrastructure, and industrials dominated the higher finish of the deal spectrum. African Export-Import Financial institution anchored a $1.35 billion refinancing for Dangote Industries’ refinery, Transgrid acquired a controlling stake in Eko Electrical energy Distribution Firm for N360 billion, and main exits in energy and oil, and fuel reshaped possession throughout strategic belongings.
Collectively, these transactions highlighted the place long-term capital was dedicated decisively in 2025.
What follows is Nairametrics’ curated record of prime mega offers of the 12 months—transactions that stood out not only for their headline numbers, however for his or her execution, financial relevance, and lasting affect on Nigeria’s company panorama.
Deal size-$53 million
In January 2025, remittance-focused fintech LemFi secured $53 million in a Series B funding round to accelerate its European expansion. The spherical was led by London-based growth-stage investor Highland Europe, with participation from present backers Endeavor Catalyst, Left Lane Capital, Palm Drive Capital, and Y Combinator, bringing LemFi’s whole funding to $85 million.
The Lagos-founded firm, which serves African immigrants throughout 22 international locations, deliberate to make use of the capital to broaden its service choices, strengthen fee community licenses, and ship hyper-localized options.
The European push adopted a partnership with Modulr and the acquisition of an Eire-based agency, enabling LemFi to begin unbiased operations forward of its anticipated European license subsequent month.
Based in 2019 by Nigerian Ridwan Olalere and European Rian Cochran, LemFi employed over 300 workers throughout Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, with contemporary hiring anticipated to help speedy progress.
