Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have eliminated tariffs on 13,000 goods after an 11-month intense trade negotiation that ended with the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed by the two countries on Tuesday.

The negotiation began under the direct supervision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has made four trips to the UAE to advance the bilateral relationship.

The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Summit, emerged from what the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, described as “hard-fought negotiations” between the two countries.

Speaking in an interview in Abu Dhabi, Oduwole, who served as Nigeria’s Chief Negotiator, said the negotiations involved a coordinated inter-ministerial effort spanning multiple government agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

“As the Chief Negotiator for Nigeria, I led those negotiations myself with the whole inter-ministerial team. The technical team from Justice to CBN to Customs really delivered for the Nigerian economy on this one in a very coordinated and disciplined manner,” Oduwole stated.

The minister emphasised that the UAE, ranked as the 10th largest trading economy in the world, would serve as a strategic hub for Nigerian products to access global markets.

The agreement allows Nigerian businesses to establish subsidiaries and operations in the UAE, creating a platform for expansion into the Middle East and beyond, she noted.

“The UAE hub is a significant base for Nigerian goods to access the rest of the world. Similarly, UAE investors will have the confidence to come into the Nigerian market,” Oduwole explained.

She said discussions with the UAE investors have been ongoing since she attended Investopia in Abu Dhabi last March, with several businesses indicating interest in using Nigeria as a hub for the rest of Africa, leveraging the country’s strong push toward implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The agreement builds on existing UAE investment commitments in Nigeria’s infrastructure. The minister confirmed that UAE investors have participated in financing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project, demonstrating confidence in Nigeria’s economic trajectory.

According to her, the investment discussions span multiple sectors, including pharmaceuticals, hospitality, infrastructure and financial services, with several deals in the pipeline.

Beyond trade and investment, the agreement includes provisions for improved air connectivity between the two nations.

Oduwole disclosed that Emirates Airlines would be reopening flights to Abuja by the end of the first quarter of 2026, facilitating easier movement of business and tourist travellers between Nigeria and the UAE.

Addressing concerns about potential conflicts with Nigeria’s existing commitments, Oduwole was emphatic that the CEPA is fully compliant with the country’s obligations under the World Trade Organisation (WTO), African Continental Free Trade Area and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The minister explained that the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment worked closely with the Ministry of Finance, which maintains the tariff schedules, to ensure that the commitments made under the UAE agreement align with Nigeria’s broader economic strategy and existing international obligations.

The implementation of the agreement is immediate, with Nigeria set to host Investopia in Lagos on February 2, bringing the UAE investors directly into the Nigerian market. The event is designed to allow investors to explore opportunities in Africa’s largest economy.

Oduwole revealed that the agreement includes a built-in review mechanism to monitor its effectiveness.

“Every year under the agreement, there will be a joint review of what the agreement has been able to deliver,” she stated, noting that while the reviews will be conducted at the government-to-government level, implementation will be private sector-led.