Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Nigeria has secured a major trade and investment breakthrough with the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, CEPA, with the United Arab Emirates, a deal expected to unlock duty-free access for Nigerian products and deepen foreign investment inflows into the country’s productive sectors.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu disclosed this after witnessing the signing of the agreement with UAE President, His Highness Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in Abu Dhabi.
Describing the agreement as a concrete outcome of Nigeria’s economic reform drive, President Tinubu said the deal would directly benefit Nigerian exporters, manufacturers and service providers, while improving investor confidence in the country.
“For Nigerians, this agreement is not abstract. It opens duty-free access for thousands of Nigerian products into the UAE, expands opportunities for our exporters, manufacturers, and service providers, and gives UAE investors clearer confidence to back Nigeria’s productive economy,” Tinubu said.
The President noted that the agreement was the result of months of sustained negotiations led on Nigeria’s side by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, and on the UAE side by Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.
“This agreement is the result of sustained and disciplined work. I commend both ministers and their teams for the seriousness and clarity that brought these negotiations to a conclusion,” he added.
According to Tinubu, the Nigeria-UAE CEPA aligns with the country’s industrialization and economic diversification agenda, positioning Nigeria as a strategic gateway for trade and investment into Africa.
“This comprehensive agreement supports our industrialization and diversification goals and strengthens Nigeria’s position as a gateway for trade and investment into Africa,” the President said.
He stressed that the partnership reflects Nigeria’s preference for measured, long-term economic alliances capable of delivering sustainable value rather than short-term gains.
“This is the work of economic reform, purposeful engagement and measured partnerships. The outcomes will serve Nigeria’s long-term national interest,” Tinubu stated.
The agreement is expected to enhance bilateral trade volumes, attract UAE capital into Nigeria’s manufacturing, energy, infrastructure and services sectors, and expand market access for Nigerian non-oil exports.
President Tinubu expressed optimism that the renewed Nigeria-UAE economic relationship would continue to deliver tangible benefits to both countries.
“May the renewed relationship between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates continue to yield sustained dividends for both nations and our peoples,” he said.
