Top 5 Best Trading Platforms in Nigeria in 2025

In this guide, our experts have rated the 5 best online brokers in Nigeria to buy, sell and trade stocks for beginners.
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Reviewed by
Updated on Aug 30, 2024
Reading time 10 minutes

The Invezz team of expert traders, data analysts, and financial writers frequently test the best trading platforms & online brokers in Ireland. Amongst a range of features, we ranked the top online brokers in Nigeria according to their affordability, security, and available international stock markets.

Once we came up with a preliminary list, we surveyed our Nigerian users to gather their thoughts and feedback on each of the top trading apps in Nigeria.

Armed with that information we created a final ranking to answer the question: what are the best online brokers in Nigeria for Nigerian users?

What is the best stock trading platform in Nigeria?

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Our rankings reveal that the best online broker in Nigeria is FxPro .

Having assessed 100+ brokers, this list represents the three services that top our rankings as the overall best online trading platforms in Nigeria. 

We found 11 online brokers for users based in

AvaTrade review
4.3
AvaTrade
Min. Deposit $100
Fees From 0.13%
No. assets 1250+
Demo account Yes

AvaTrade review

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Pepperstone review
4.3
Pepperstone
Min. Deposit n/a
Fees $7 RT
No. assets 1200+
Demo account Yes

Pepperstone review

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 81.7%of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Refer to our RDN and other legal documents. Pepperstone Markets Limited, SCB no. SIAF217.

Best trading platforms in Nigeria
Min. Deposit n/a
Fees -
No. assets n/a
Demo account -

Top 5 online brokers in Nigeria, reviewed & compared

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We found 11 online brokers for users based in

1. AvaTrade. Best regulated broker for secure trading

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Avatrade_logo
4
Ratings

$100

Min. deposit

From 0.13%

Fees

1,300

No. assets

Yes

Demo account

Overview

We love AvaTrade because it is a reliable CFD broker, that gives users access to a wide range of markets. As a CFD broker, AvaTrade lets you speculate on the price movements of various currency markets without owning the underlying assets. AvaTrade is a multi asset brokerage firm and includes CFDs for multiple forex pairs including EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and more. 

AvaTrade is also highly regarded for its strong regulatory framework and commitment to security. AvaTrade is regulated in multiple jurisdictions, including Europe, Australia, Japan, South Africa, and the British Virgin Islands, which means it must adhere to stringent regulatory standards across the world. 

AvaTrade isn’t just well regulated, it also employs advanced security measures to protect client funds and personal information, including segregated accounts and robust encryption technology. 

The fees: There is no commission on any trading. AvaTrade makes money from the Bid/Ask spread instead. Forex spreads start at 0.7 pips. Positions left overnight are charged a swap fee that varies depending on size. An inactivity fee of £/€/$50 per month is applicable if you don’t log in to your account for three consecutive months.

Highlights

Fees & Costs

Pros & Cons

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

2. Pepperstone. Best low spread & no commission broker

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pepperstone logo
4
Ratings

$-

Min. deposit

$7 RT

Fees

1,200

No. assets

Yes

Demo account

Overview

We love Pepperstone because it is a low fee and low commission CFD brokerage, making it an excellent choice for traders looking to keep trading costs down. Pepperstone offers some of the most competitive spreads in the industry, with no commission on its Standard account and low commissions on its Razor account. 

Pepperstone is also well known for its top tier regulatory protection. The broker is regulated by both the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), which means it follows stringent rules. Pepperstone also offers over 90 currency pairs from the majors, minors, and exotics. 

One of the features we found most useful when using Pepperstone is the variety of trading platforms. You can choose from TradingView, MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and cTrader, each providing a unique set of features and tools. 

The fees: Forex trades are commission free, as Pepperstone makes money from the Bid/Ask spread. The spreads vary depending on the asset you want to trade. Razor (pro) account customers get significant discounts on the spreads. Spreads are as low as 0.00 points on EUR/USD and no commissions.

Highlights

Fees & Costs

Pros & Cons

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 81.7%of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Refer to our RDN and other legal documents. Pepperstone Markets Limited, SCB no. SIAF217.

3. Exness. Best for tight spreads and a pro-style trading experience.

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4
Ratings

$10

Min. deposit

From $0.2 per lot

Fees

300

No. assets

Yes

Demo account

Overview

We love Exness because of its tight spreads, which make it a top choice for traders looking to minimize trading costs and maximize profitability. The brokerage offers some of the most competitive spreads in the industry, especially on markets like currencies. Excess offers 100+ forex pairs via CFDs from the majors, minors, and exotics.

Its focus on low trading costs is ideal for both newbies and experienced traders looking to trade with minimal overheads. Exness also stands out for its range of trading terminals. It offers MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and the Exness web terminal. There’s also a dedicated mobile app meaning you’ll be able to always access your account. 

Beginners can take advantage of a free demo account or micro-lots for low minimum trades, while more experienced traders can use the hundreds of pre built indicators available on the MetaTrader suite. 

The fees: Standard accounts aren’t charged a commission but are charged through the spread. Spreads start from 1 pip on major forex pairs. Overnight fees apply on some assets (exc. swap-free accounts).

Highlights

Fees & Costs

Pros & Cons

Exness does not offer services to residents of certain jurisdictions including the USA, Iran, North Korea and others. The content of the website including translations should not be construed as means for solicitation. Investors make their own and independent decisions. Trading in CFDs and generally leveraged products involves substantial risk of loss and you may lose all of your invested capital.

4. FP Markets. Best for low spread & 0-pip trading

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fp markets logo
4
Ratings

$-

Min. deposit

...

Fees

-

No. assets

No

Demo account

Overview

We love FP Markets because it uses cutting-edge technology to ensure all forex trades are executed at lightning fast speed. It’s an award-winning broker and offers over 60 currency markets with spreads starting from zero pips and leverage up to 500:1. 

FP Markets has zero restrictions and allows all trading styles, including scalping and running expert advisors. It integrates with the popular MetaTrader 4 platform and has its own technology-driven charting package. For beginners, FP Markets offers a free copy trading service where you can mirror profitable users’ trades directly in your own account. 

The fees:  FP Markets has two account types with different fees for forex trades. Its standard account has zero commission but has spreads starting from 0.9 pips. Its Raw account gives access to its ECN trading platform and charges $3 per side (per lot) for every forex trade. 

Highlights

Pros & Cons

CFDs are derivatives and can be risky; losses can exceed your initial payment and you must be able to meet all margin calls as soon as they are made. When trading CFDs you do not own or have any rights to the CFDs underlying assets.

5. Pacific Union. Best for social trading & customer support

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pacific union logo
4
Ratings

$-

Min. deposit

...

Fees

-

No. assets

No

Demo account

Overview

We love Pacific Union because its beginner friendly platform comes loaded with lots of educational content, including how to guides and video learning. Pacific Union offers over 200 stock CFDs for some of the world’s biggest companies.  

It’s an award-winning broker and has a proprietary social trading application that makes it easy for beginners to follow the strategies and positions of the platform’s top traders. Pacific Union uses the popular Metatrader 4 software alongside its mobile and web based apps. Traders can choose the amount of leverage they want to use, all the way up to 500:1.

The fees: Commission starting at 0.1 points is charged on select stock CFDs across all account types. Spread starts at 0.5 points and applies to all stocks. Swap charges for holding a trade overnight vary depending on size.  

Highlights

Pros & Cons

Contracts for Difference (CFDs) trading carries a high level of risk to your capital and can result in losses, you should only trade with money you can afford to lose. CFDs trading may not be suitable for all investors, please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved and take appropriate measures to manage it.

How we chose the best online trading platform in Nigeria

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Our reviewing panel is made up of industry experts, including Data Analyst, Dan Ashmore, CFA, our Editor of News, Harsh Vardhan, journalist Katya Stead, and expert trader, Prash Raval. The panel also includes an independent fact checker, Richard Stutely.

Here are the key factors that played into our final ranking of the best stock brokers in Nigeria.

  • Fees. We prioritised Nigerian brokers that offer commission-free trading, charge low trading fees, don’t charge deposit or withdrawal fees, and don’t charge any hidden fees.
  • Device availability. An online trading platform that is available across all devices as a mobile app deserves a boost. In a mobile world, you need the best stock trading app in Nigeria to work across mobile, tablet, and desktop. 
  • Platform security. All services we recommend are regulated by respected financial institutions and provide investor protection in the event that anything goes wrong.
  • Free demo accounts. All the best stockbrokers in Nigeria should offer the chance to test their service before you pay for it. We gave the brokers with the best demo accounts a boost in our rankings.
  • Access to global markets. International stock brokers in Nigeria that allow you to invest in global markets, particularly popular ones like the United States, scored well in our reviews.
  • Trading and analysis tools. An online stock broker that offers analysis tools makes it easier to do all your research and trading in one place. Any online broker that offered this convenience scored well.
  • Third-party integrations. You might want to use a piece of downloadable, third-party software like MetaTrader 4, MT5, or cTrader to place your trades. The best trading software in Nigeria should integrate with these services and those that did so received a higher ranking. 
  • Customer reviews. Finally, we looked into customer reviews, to make sure that we only recommend the best investment platforms in Nigeria where the majority of Nigerian customers had a positive experience.

Find out more about how we rate, rank, and review platforms.

More about stock trading platforms in Nigeria

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What products can I trade with a Nigerian stock broker?

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You can trade stocks from Nigeria, or invest in leading companies from around the world. Here’s a breakdown of what (and how) you can trade financial markets with the best online brokers Nigeria.

Stocks

  • Nigerian stocks. One investment option is to simply buy and sell stocks that are listed in Nigeria. Investing in the Nigerian market is normally the most straightforward option for Nigerian residents, as you can buy shares in any company that’s listed on a Nigerian stock exchange.
  • US stocks. Some of the best known companies in the world are listed in the United States. The best online broker in Nigeria will also let you invest in stocks that are listed on the NYSE or the NASDAQ exchange in the US, but it depends on the legal restrictions in Nigeria.
  • International stocks. You may also be able to buy shares in companies that are based in the rest of the world. The best international brokers in Nigeria offer global stocks, but it may be a limited selection. If you want to buy equities from outside Nigeria or the US, be sure to check those stocks are available through your online broker before you sign up.

ETFs

ETFs (exchange traded funds) are investment funds that pool money together from lots of different investors and use it to track a particular index, like the S&P 500. Even if you can’t invest in every stock from every country, you can usually find an alternative in an ETF that tracks the performance of Nigeria’s top stock exchanges and indexes. 

Mutual funds

Mutual funds are professionally managed investments. You buy shares in the fund through an investment platform and the manager decides what to invest it in. Typically, a fund manager chooses a mixture of global stocks, local Nigerian stocks, and ETFs that track global indices from across the world.

Mutual funds and ETFs are similar, but the former are managed by a professional who tries to beat the market, while the latter buy and sell stocks automatically based on a set of fixed criteria. Typically a mutual fund charges higher management fees every year because of the extra work involved. The best stock broker in Nigeria should allow you to invest in stocks from Nigeria, as well as ETFs and mutual funds.

Futures and options

Futures and options contracts involve making an agreement to purchase a stock in the future at an agreed price. They’re favoured by stock traders and can be used as a way of speculating on how you think a company’s price might change in the future.

Other assets

Most trading platforms in Nigeria offer a variety of assets alongside stocks, funds, and ETFs. With the best Nigerian brokers you can create a diversified portfolio made up of leading global stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, and dabble with trading currency pairs and commodities as well.

Compare the assets available with each of the top Nigerian brokers below.

Product AvaTrade assets Pepperstone assets
Stock CFDs 612
ETF CFDs 61
Forex CFDs 108
Crypto CFDs 20
Index CFDs 31
Commodity CFDs 19
View more > AvaTrade > Pepperstone >

You should keep in mind, however, that to invest in other financial products from Nigeria, you may be better off using a different type of trading platform.

For example, for trading currency pairs you want one of the best forex brokers in Nigeria, for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, the best crypto exchanges in Nigeria. The best CFD brokers in Nigeria offer a range of financial assets, including many of the options above.

How much does it cost to use the best online trading platforms in Nigeria?

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It is normally free to sign up to a stock trading platform in Nigeria. The main cost comes in the form of trading fees, which depend on the platform and on what you want to trade. Some of the best stock trading apps in Nigeria offer completely free trading, while others charge a flat fee or commission per trade.

Here’s a comparison of the trading fees across our highest rated Nigerian brokers.

Asset AvaTrade fees Pepperstone fees
Stock CFDs From 0.13%
ETF CFDs From 0.13%
Forex CFDs From 0.9 pips
Crypto CFDs From 0.15% over market
Index CFDs From 0.03 over market
Commodity CFDs From 0.0015 over market
View more > AvaTrade > Pepperstone >

Another way an online broker in Nigeria might charge you is via the spread. The spread is the difference between the buy and sell price of an asset, and effectively serves as a commission the broker is charging you on top of the market price. The smaller the spread, the better value you’re getting from your broker.

Here’s a comparison of the spreads across the top Nigerian trading platforms.

Product AvaTrade spreads Pepperstone spreads
Stock CFDs From 0.13%
ETF CFDs From 0.13%
Forex CFDs From 0.9 pips
Crypto CFDs From 0.15% over market
Index CFDs From 0.03 over market
Commodity CFDs From $0.0015 over market
View all tradable assets > AvaTrade > Pepperstone >

On top of the trading fees and spreads, there may be other charges for using your online broker account. These can include inactivity fees, where you’re charged if you don’t use your account for a period of time (usually 3-6 months), as well as overnight fees, which only apply if the broker is also a CFD platform, or even an account maintenance fee.

Here’s a look at the types of fees different brokers in Nigeria charge, to give you a complete picture of the cost of trading with the top brokers in Nigeria.

Fee AvaTrade fees Pepperstone fees
Trading fees No Yes
Inactivity fees Yes No
Rollover/overnight fees Yes Yes
Withdrawal fees No No
Spreads Yes Yes
Conversion fees No Yes
View more > AvaTrade > Pepperstone >

Are stock brokers in Nigeria regulated?

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Yes, online brokers have to be regulated in order to offer share dealing services. Ideally, you want to find a broker that offers top-tier regulatory protection either through your local regulator, or through an internationally recognised institution. 

The best brokers in Nigeria are regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which provides a license for these firms to operate and governs their actions in order to protect investors. Use the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) database to check if your favourite online broker is regulated to operate in Nigeria.

On top of that, many online brokers in Nigeria are based elsewhere but regulated to operate internationally through institutions such as CySEC (the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission). Here are the best online brokers in Nigeria and where they’re regulated across the world.

Region AvaTrade regulators Pepperstone regulators
Africa FSCA CMA
Asia FSA SCB, DFSA
Australasia ASIC ASIC
Europe CBI, MiFID, CySEC FCA, CySEC, BaFin
International BVIFSC, FRSA
North America
South America
View more > AvaTrade > Pepperstone >

How much money do I need to start using an online broker in Nigeria?

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Typically, the minimum deposit for each Nigerian broker is the equivalent of $10. This is a manageable amount for most users, though you should also consider the minimum trade size on each platform. This governs the smallest investment you can make, so if you plan to invest small amounts then it is a crucial number to think about.

Compare the minimum and maximum trade sizes for each top broker in Nigeria right here.

Product AvaTrade minimum trade Pepperstone minimum trade
Stock CFDs No limit
ETF CFDs No limit
Forex CFDs No limit
Crypto CFDs No limit
Index CFDs No limit
Commodity CFDs No limit
View more > AvaTrade > Pepperstone >

Which trading app in Nigeria has the best user reviews?

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As part of our research process we gathered up reviews and feedback from Nigerian users to help us finalise the rankings. Below is a summary of the feedback and ratings we received about each platform.

Review source AvaTrade rating Pepperstone rating
Trustpilot 4.7
Google Play Store 4.0
App Store 4.4
View more > AvaTrade > Pepperstone >

How to buy stocks in Nigeria

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Every stock trading app in Nigeria is designed to help you invest with the minimum of fuss. 

Follow this six step guide to learn how to buy shares online in Nigeria for the first time.

1. Find a Nigerian trading app

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Compare the best online stock brokers in Nigeria and choose your favourite from the list at the top of this page.

2. Create an account

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Once you’ve chosen the best broker Nigeria, set up an account by supplying your email address and password. Fill in personal details like your name and address.

3. Verify the broker account

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Before you use an online trading platform in Nigeria you need to verify your identity. Upload a copy of your driving licence or passport to do this. The verification process can take up to 24 hours, but is often much quicker than that.

4. Deposit money into your trading account

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You can make your initial deposit via a card payment, bank transfer, or an alternative payment method. Many of the best online brokers in Nigeria accept PayPal and similar e-wallets, but you should check this ahead of time.

5. Search for a stock and place your trade

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Find the stocks you want to trade using their ticker symbol. Enter the details of your trade, and hit ‘buy’ to execute it.

6. Monitor your investment

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Check up on your investment regularly. Use the latest news and stock market research to help you decide when to sell your shares, and lock in a profit or loss.

FAQs

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01

What’s the best broker for beginners in Nigeria?

02

What’s the best investment platform in Nigeria?

03

What’s the cheapest online broker Nigeria with the lowest fees?

04

Which trading app is best in Nigeria?

05

Which investment platform in Nigeria has the best demo account?

06

What’s the safest broker in Nigeria?

07

Is it legal to trade stocks in Nigeria?


Fact-checking & references

Prash Raval

Prash Raval

Financial Writer

  • Forex
  • Trading
  • Stocks
  • Investing
  • Football
Prash is a financial writer for Invezz covering FX, the stock market and investing. For over a decade he has traded spot FX full time while running an educational service helping novice traders learn the markets. He has a keen interest in micro and small cap stocks....