🇳🇬🇦🇪Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that will eliminate tariffs on more than 13,500 products traded between the two countries. This move is expected to significantly boost non-oil exports, attract foreign direct investment, and create jobs.
The agreement, signed on January 13, 2026, by Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, will grant duty-free access to thousands of Nigerian products, including fish and seafood, oil seeds, cereals, cotton, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals, into the UAE market.
Under the deal, Nigeria will immediately eliminate tariffs on 3,949 products, with an additional 2,294 products seeing tariff removal over five years. The UAE will also remove tariffs on 2,805 products immediately, with 1,468 products to follow in three years and 3,042 products in five years.
The CEPA also opens up access to 108 service sectors, positioning the UAE as a strategic gateway for Nigerian enterprises into the Middle East and global markets. Nigerian businesses can now establish operations in the UAE through new corporate entities, branches, and subsidiaries.
The agreement aligns with Nigeria’s obligations under the World Trade Organization, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) frameworks. It’s expected to accelerate economic diversification, improve logistics connectivity, and create quality jobs for Nigeria’s youthful population
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