Get Guardian on GoogleRwandAir is expanding its cargo operations in Nigeria to connect local exporters with five markets in East and Southern Africa, offering freight rates aimed at making the transportation of Nigerian goods across the continent more affordable.
The airline’s Regional Manager for West and Central Africa, Ginnette Kadagiri, said exporters were already using the arrangement, with consignments moving weekly to Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa.
She spoke in Lagos during the signing of an operational roadmap between RwandAir and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment at the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND 2026.
The cargo corridor connects Lagos with Kigali, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Harare and Lusaka, with rates ranging from $1.20 to $1.90 per kilogramme for eligible exporters.
Kadagiri said the arrangement was intended to help Nigerian businesses reach new markets, particularly entrepreneurs in the creative and food sectors. She noted that lower transportation costs could encourage businesses that had previously concentrated on the domestic market to consider exporting.
She said air freight offered shorter delivery times, security and clearer documentation procedures, although the choice between air and road transportation would depend on the destination and nature of the goods.
According to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, the rates are between 50 and 70 per cent cheaper than those offered by comparable commercial carriers. She said Nigerian exporters previously paid between $3 and $10 per kilogramme to transport goods to other African markets, a cost that undermined their competitiveness.
Oduwole announced that, following a four-month pilot phase, all Nigerian exporters holding the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Certificate of Origin could use Rwanda on the Nigeria-East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor.
She disclosed that the first shipment under the arrangement was flagged off on June 19, 2026, involving nine exporters sending goods to four destinations. Approximately 20 shipments have since moved through the corridor, according to information released at the event.
The roadmap signed in Lagos provides for a three-year collaboration during which Nigeria and Rwanda will explore mutually beneficial cargo rates and address distribution challenges through government-to-government engagement. The ministry also plans to include Rwanda in its AfCFTA capacity-building programmes for Nigerian exporters where possible.
Oduwole said the Federal Government facilitated negotiations with Rwanda in April 2026, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Africa. This was followed by discussions between President Bola Tinubu and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali in May.
She said Nigeria’s non-oil exports reached $6.1 billion in 2025, representing an 11.5 per cent increase over 2024, adding that the government was working to sustain the growth by addressing logistics costs, market access and export financing.
Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Moses Rugema, described the agreement as an important step towards making African markets more accessible and competitive, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.
“Governments can establish frameworks and sign roadmaps, but it is businesses that ultimately bring these opportunities to life,” he said, urging Nigerian exporters to engage with RwandAir and take advantage of the connections offered by the partnership.
Rugema said the agreement built on the longstanding relationship between both countries, noting that RwandAir would mark 15 years of operations in Lagos in December.
