Nigeria-China bilateral trade rose by 35 per cent to $18 billion in the first half of 2026, with Chinese imports from Nigeria surging by 80 per cent to $2.3 billion following the implementation of China’s zero-tariff policy for African countries.

The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja at a one-day international seminar organised by the Centre for China Studies on the theme, “China’s Zero Tariff Treatment for African Countries and its Implications for Structural Economic Transformation in Africa.”

Dunhai said the figures reflected the early impact of China’s decision to grant zero-tariff treatment to products from all African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, effective May 1, 2026.

He said China-Africa trade reached a record $207 billion in the first half of the year, while Chinese imports from Africa rose to $29 billion between May and June, representing a 24 per cent year-on-year increase.

According to him, the zero-tariff policy has contributed to an estimated six per cent increase in overall African exports to China.

“Nigeria’s performance has been especially striking. Total bilateral trade reached $18 billion in the first half of the year, up 35 per cent, while Chinese imports from Nigeria surged 80 per cent to $2.3 billion,” Dunhai said.

The envoy said the policy was already producing tangible savings for Nigerian exporters, particularly in commodities such as sesame, cattle bone granules and liquefied propane.

He disclosed that every 100 tonnes of Nigerian sesame exported to China now saves about $11,000 in tariff costs, while the annual export of 7,000 tonnes of cattle bone granules saves nearly $450,000.

He added that a single shipment of 23,000 tonnes of Nigerian liquefied propane saved about $300,000 in taxes on the first day of the policy.

Dunhai said the benefits were further reinforced by a protocol on inspection and quarantine requirements for wild aquatic products exported from Nigeria to China, signed by both countries on Thursday.

He said the agreement would enable Nigerian aquatic products to access the Chinese market and benefit from the zero-tariff regime.

The ambassador, however, stressed that the initiative should not be viewed merely as a means of increasing exports of raw commodities, but as an opportunity to promote value addition, industrialisation and deeper economic integration between Nigeria and China.

Dunhai also called for stronger cooperation on trade facilitation, investment protection and quarantine standards, saying these would create a more predictable environment for investors.

In her remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said Nigeria’s priority should be to transform the increased access to the Chinese market into productive capacity and industrial growth.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry, Ambassador Dunoma Ahmed, the Minister noted that the critical question was not simply how much Africa could export to China, but what it would produce and how much value would remain within African economies.

“For Nigeria, however, the central question is not simply how much Africa can export to China, but what Africa will produce, how it will produce it, and how much value will be retained within African economies,” she said.

The Minister emphasised that the Federal Government was seeking to move the Nigerian economy away from dependence on unprocessed commodity exports by encouraging manufacturing, industrial value chains, technology transfer and job creation.

According to her, crude oil should support petrochemical and downstream industries, agricultural commodities should feed agro-processing and manufacturing, while solid minerals should stimulate mineral processing and industrial production.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu stated that the objective was to move “from exporting resources to exporting value”, urging Chinese and other foreign investors to establish production facilities that source locally, employ Nigerians and develop domestic suppliers.

“Nigeria is open for business, but increasingly, we seek investment that does more than extract. We seek investment that builds,” she said.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the zero-tariff initiative offered Nigeria an opportunity to diversify its exports and transform agriculture into a major source of value-added products.

Abdullahi said Nigeria had enormous agricultural potential but had for decades exported raw commodities while importing finished products at higher prices.

He challenged stakeholders to focus on exporting processed and higher-value agricultural products capable of meeting international standards.

“Zero tariffs alone do not guarantee success. While the removal of tariff creates opportunity, opportunities alone do not create prosperity,” he said.

The minister identified agricultural productivity, modern processing facilities, logistics, quality assurance, traceability, financing, storage, export certification and compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary standards as critical to taking advantage of the Chinese market.

He said the government was expanding agricultural processing through the Special Agro-Processing Zones, with projects launched or under development in Kaduna, Cross River, Ogun and Gombe.

Abdullahi also highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen agricultural cooperatives and mechanisation, including the deployment of 2,000 Belarusian tractors and equipment, as part of measures to improve productivity and achieve economies of scale among smallholder farmers.

He said China’s experience in using agricultural modernisation and industrialisation to lift millions of people out of poverty offered valuable lessons for Nigeria.

Earlier, the Director of the Centre for China Studies, Charles Onunaiju, said China’s zero-tariff policy presented a significant opportunity for Africa but warned that tariff-free access alone would not remove the structural constraints confronting African economies.

Onunaiju said African countries needed to undertake policy reforms, harmonise standards, improve customs arrangements and strengthen productive capacity to maximise access to the Chinese market.

He described China’s policy as a major opportunity for Africa, noting that China had evolved from being the “workshop of the world” into one of the world’s largest consumer markets.

He urged African countries to leverage their competitive labour costs, large markets and youthful populations to develop manufacturing capacity and become major production centres.

The seminar brought together policymakers, diplomats, manufacturers, traders, farmers, exporters, entrepreneurs and representatives of customs, financial, industrial and agricultural institutions to examine practical ways of maximising the benefits of China’s zero-tariff policy.