The United States and Nigeria have reaffirmed their commitment to deepen trade and investment relations under the U.S.–Nigeria Commercial and Investment Partnership (CIP), a five-year framework to strengthen bilateral commerce and drive private-sector–led growth.

This was disclosed at a CIP ministerial meeting in Lagos, co-chaired by the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Commercial Service, Bradley McKinney, and Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole.

At the ministerial, the two governments convened an inter-agency delegation of experts in trade financing, trade promotion, and project development to review priority reforms recommended by the three CIP Working Groups (Agriculture, Digital Economy, and Infrastructure), comprising U.S. and Nigerian private-sector leaders.

These proposed reforms aim to deliver tangible, long-term improvements to the business environment and to remove barriers to trade and investment.

“This ministerial meeting underscores significant advances in the vital U.S.-Nigeria commercial and investment partnership. Over the past six months, the Agriculture, Digital Economy, and Infrastructure Working Groups have engaged across government and industry, developing thoughtful, practical proposals to unlock trade and deepen the bilateral commercial relationship between the United States and Nigeria,” McKinney said.

Oduwole applauded the continued strong relationship with the United States, evidenced by the high-level delegation’s visit from Washington, and welcomed U.S. businesses to invest in the CIP’s priority sectors and benefit from trading with Nigeria and across the African continent.

She emphasised that a central priority for us is to accelerate diversification of non-oil exports and ensure that more Nigerian businesses can access U.S. markets in a competitive, sustainable, and inclusive manner.

“Since the launch of the CIP Working Groups in June 2025, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has “sustained momentum in business climate reform, strengthened competitiveness, and advanced investment, industrial, and trade policy alignment and implementation, laying the foundations for a more predictable, investible economy and creating stronger conditions for this partnership to deliver tangible outcomes,” she added.

The CIP Working Groups were joined by senior U.S. officials, including U.S. Mission Chargé d’Affaires Keith Heffern; U.S. Department of Agriculture Associate Administrator for the Foreign Agricultural Service, Jason Hafemeister; and U.S. Trade and Development Agency Regional Director for sub-Saharan Africa, Heather Lanigan. Nigerian government participation included the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Nura Rimi, and the Director of Investment at the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Gertrude Orji.

Under the CIP, the United States and Nigeria will continue consultations on a wide range of trade and investment issues, explore ways to expand trade in goods and services, and encourage increased investment flows between the two countries to further drive prosperity, growth, and job creation on both sides of the Atlantic.

Nigeria benefits from trading and investing with U.S. companies known for delivering world-class quality, efficiency, and effectiveness in their products and services, creating mutual growth through doing business with the most competitive American businesses on Earth.

Nigeria is currently the United States’ second-largest trading partner in Africa, with two-way trade in goods and services amounting to nearly $13 billion in 2024. The United States remains one of Nigeria’s leading foreign investors, with U.S. foreign direct investment reaching $7.9 billion in 2024, a 25.2 per cent increase in 2023.