Nigeria–UAE Trade Agreement Removes Tariffs On Thousands Of Products

Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates have concluded a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, signalling a significant advance in their bilateral economic relationship and ushering in a fresh phase of Nigeria’s integration into global trade.

The agreement was formalised in the presence of the Presidents of both countries and is structured to substantially open up trade in goods and services, remove tariffs on thousands of items, and broaden market access for Nigerian companies and professionals.

The signing took place in Abu Dhabi, with Nigeria represented by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, and the UAE represented by the Minister of Foreign Trade, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.

The announcement was made yesterday by Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment in a post shared on X, confirming that the Nigeria–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was executed alongside UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

“For Nigerians, this agreement is not abstract. It opens duty-free access for thousands of Nigerian products into the UAE, expands opportunities for our exporters, manufacturers, and service providers, and gives UAE investors clearer confidence to back Nigeria’s productive economy,” Tinubu said.

The Ministry described the pact as a landmark move that redefines Nigeria’s trade framework and enhances its position in global commerce.

Under the terms of the agreement, Nigeria will liberalise 6,243 products in total.

Tariffs on 3,949 of these products, representing 63.3 percent, will be removed immediately, while duties on the remaining 2,294 products, accounting for 36.7 percent, will be gradually eliminated over a five year period.

For the UAE, tariffs will be lifted at once on 2,805 of the 7,315 products covered by the agreement, amounting to 38.3 percent of the total.

Reacting to the development, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment noted that the agreement delivers a strong message of confidence to international investors and trading partners.