Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, has provided detailed insights into the implementation framework of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), emphasising that the trade pact was strategically negotiated to prioritise Nigerian businesses and economic transformation.

Speaking during a National Policy Conversation webinar, Oduwole explained that the agreement, signed on January 13 in Abu Dhabi between Nigeria and the UAE, represents an 11-month negotiation effort designed to deliver tangible benefits for Nigerian exporters, manufacturers and service providers.

Under the agreement, the UAE will immediately eliminate tariffs on over 7,000 Nigerian products. Oduwole said additional tariffs on other goods and products would be phased out over the next three to five years.
“Nigerian industrial exports now have a clear and competitive pathway into one of the world’s most dynamic trading hubs,” she stated.

In reciprocal terms, Nigeria will eliminate tariffs on approximately 6,000 products from the UAE, with about 60 per cent taking effect immediately and the remainder phased over five years.

She emphasised that these imports are concentrated in industrial inputs, capital goods and machinery designed to strengthen Nigeria’s productivity and industrialisation capacity.

Addressing concerns about market flooding and competition for local businesses, she clarified that the agreement facilitates partnership opportunities rather than displacement, and further noted that UAE investors typically prefer partnering with domestic investors who understand the local terrain.

Nigerian business visitors can enter the UAE for up to 90 days within 12 months to explore trade and investment opportunities, while intra-corporate transferees, including managers, executives and specialists, can relocate with their corporate entities for renewable three-year terms.

Oduwole revealed that several UAE institutions have already begun supporting infrastructure investments in
Nigeria, citing First Abu Dhabi Bank’s involvement in financing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. Responding to questions about product quality and international standards compliance, she outlined the roles of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in ensuring exporters meet global benchmarks and urged exporters to conduct proper due diligence and obtain necessary certifications before rushing to export.

The minister said AfreximBank has established centres of excellence in different regions to help businesses ensure their products meet international standards.

Addressing concerns raised by participants about ensuring small and medium enterprises benefit more from the agreement, Oduwole revealed plans to launch a trade facilitation programme by March, targeting every local government in Nigeria through a pilot initiative.

The strategy involves aggregating products from local communities through cooperatives and large buyers who can handle export logistics.

She said the ministry has conducted trade intelligence mapping of 13 Southern and Eastern African countries under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) , which revealed demand for light products, food items, cosmetics, fashion and other locally-produced goods.

To facilitate access to these markets, she said the air cargo corridor negotiated with Uganda Airways would reduce freight costs by 75 per cent, alongside the trade houses they intend to establish soon in Kenya and Namibia.

The minister positioned CEPA as a strategic instrument for economic transformation, describing Nigeria as a gateway for international investors seeking to access the West African and African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA’s) over a billion people market.

She added that the upcoming Investopia event in Lagos next month, aimed at attracting global investors, will serve as a deal room for investors from the UAE and across Africa.

She stressed that every Nigerian state has unique offerings in solid minerals, agriculture, hospitality, services, and technology sectors and they intend to exploit and export these resources and services.She urged manufacturers and businesses to leverage the agreementthat was negotiated on their behalf.