Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) aimed at boosting trade and investment between the two countries. The agreement, signed during the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, is expected to provide Nigerian exporters with a strategic hub to access global markets, particularly across the Gulf and beyond.
According to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, the agreement allows over 7,000 Nigerian product lines to enter the UAE market duty-free. These products range from pharmaceuticals and chemicals to agricultural produce. Oduwole emphasized that the UAE was chosen as a strategic trade partner due to its global commercial importance and connectivity, serving as a gateway to the rest of the world.
The minister noted that the agreement will enable Nigerian exporters to have a hub into the rest of the world, with access to the Gulf, and that the UAE’s status as the tenth largest trading nation in the world makes it an ideal partner. The agreement also eases business mobility for Nigerians, allowing entrepreneurs to establish a physical presence in the UAE and stay for up to 90 days within a 12-month period.
Oduwole highlighted that Nigeria will deepen its export footprint in sectors where it is competitive, using the UAE both as a destination market and a launchpad to other regions. The agreement is also expected to attract UAE investment into Nigeria, particularly in infrastructure and industrial development. Nigerian entrepreneurs can begin exporting immediately under the agreement, while other provisions will be phased in over a three- to five-year period.
Beyond the UAE deal, Oduwole outlined Nigeria’s wider export expansion strategy across Africa. The country has opened an air cargo corridor in partnership with Uganda Airlines and identified 13 Eastern and Southern African countries that are in high demand of Nigerian goods such as processed foods, beverages, and fashion items. The African market is seen as hungry for Nigerian goods, and the government is facilitating export access for Nigerians across the country.
The CEPA signing is part of a broader effort to boost cooperation in trade, infrastructure, renewable energy, and other key sectors. President Bola Tinubu announced that Nigeria will co-host Investopia with the UAE in Lagos in February to attract global investors. The agreement supports Nigeria’s drive for green investment, higher non-oil exports, and long-term economic growth. With the UAE agreement in place, Nigeria is poised to increase its trade and investment ties with the Middle East and beyond.
