Nigeria, UAE Sign Landmark Economic Partnership To Boost Trade, Investment

Nigeria has signed a landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking what the Federal Government describes as a “historic milestone” in the country’s trade relations and economic diversification drive.

This was made known in a statement signed by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole in Abu Dhabi on January 13, 2026

The minister said the partnership is expected to transform trade and investment ties between the two nations, eliminating thousands of tariffs and opening new channels for business, services, and professional exchange.

According to her, the deal “prioritises market access for Nigerian goods and services, facilitates quality investment inflows, and advances our national economic diversification under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.”

Under the new agreement, the UAE will immediately remove tariffs on over 7,000 Nigerian products, including fish and seafood, oil seeds, cereals, cotton, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.

“In the next three to five years, the UAE will also eliminate tariffs on Nigerian machinery, vehicles, electrical equipment, apparel, and furniture,” Oduwole said. “Nigerian industrial exports now have a clear and competitive pathway into one of the world’s most dynamic trading hubs.”

The minister added that Nigerian businesses will be able to establish corporate entities, branches, and subsidiaries in the UAE, with business visitors granted entry for up to 90 days within a 12-month period. Corporate transferees such as managers and specialists will also be eligible for renewable three-year relocation permits.

Oduwole said the CEPA also removes “longstanding impediments to foreign direct investment,” giving UAE investors clarity and confidence to invest in Nigeria’s productive sectors.

“This will support Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda, enhance transport and logistics connectivity, and contribute to the creation of quality jobs for our youthful population,” she stated.

Nigeria, for its part, will eliminate tariffs on about 6,000 imported products, particularly industrial inputs, capital goods, and machinery aimed at strengthening local production. Around 60 per cent of these tariff cuts will take effect immediately, while the rest will be phased out over five years.

The minister clarified that Nigeria’s Import Prohibition List remains in effect.

The agreement also covered trade in services across 10 sectors and 99 specific service areas, including business, communications, transport, finance, construction, health, environment, sports, and tourism.

Oduwole described the CEPA as a “strategic instrument for economic transformation,” noting that it incentivises Nigerian manufacturers to expand production for export and positions the country as “the gateway for international investors seeking access to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and its 1.4 billion consumers.”

She highlighted that UAE institutional investors, including First Abu Dhabi Bank, have already shown unprecedented interest in Nigerian projects such as the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road, which she called “a strong vote of confidence in Nigeria’s macroeconomic trajectory and reform agenda.”

“Sky Capital has been instrumental in supporting the CEPA agreement and in projecting Nigeria’s investor readiness,” Oduwole added, noting that the signing would accelerate deals in agriculture, real estate, digital banking, retail, and infrastructure financing.

The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, in collaboration with key agencies including the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), and Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), will lead implementation efforts.

Oduwole thanked the Nigerian negotiation team, including the Ministry of Justice and technical advisers from the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiation for their role in finalising the agreement.

“I would like to seize this opportunity to appreciate Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, and the UAE negotiation team for this strong collaborative effort,” she said.

The minister urged Nigerian entrepreneurs and manufacturers to seize the opportunities created by the deal.

“To the Nigerian private sector: this Agreement was negotiated for you,” Oduwole said. “I urge you to identify your opportunities with enhanced market access and move with confidence into the UAE market with the protections we have secured for you. Nigeria is open for business, and Nigerian businesses now have open access to the UAE, the Middle East, and the rest of the world.”