“Immediately, our agricultural and industrial products – fish and seafood, oil seeds, cereals, cotton, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and more, will enter the UAE market duty-free.” Over the next three to five years, tariffs on additional categories like machinery, vehicles, electrical equipment, apparel, and furniture will vanish entirely.”
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed that the agreement was signed between the Nigerian government and the United Arab Emirates , under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA),, at the ongoing UAE Sustainability Week, in Abu Dhabi.
Oduwole emphasised that the deal signed after intense negotiations, complies with WTO, AfCFTA, and ECOWAS rules., and immediately clears the path for duty-free entry of key agricultural, seafood, and industrial goods into one of the world’s richest markets.
“This Agreement is the product of focused and determined negotiations led by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment,” she said in a statement.
It marks a “historic milestone in Nigeria’s trade relations,” delivering “tangible benefits for Nigerian businesses, professionals, and workers.”
She further added that the CEPA creates a “clear and competitive pathway” for Nigerian goods into the UAE’s dynamic trading hub.
Exporters of value-added products stand to gain most, with immediate zero-tariff access incentivizing scaled production.
“Nigerian industrial exports now have a clear and competitive pathway into one of the world’s most dynamic trading hubs,” Dr. Oduwole stressed.
