Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have formalized a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that will remove tariffs on more than 7,000 products, a move expected to boost exports, attract investment, and strengthen bilateral trade, according to Business Insider Africa.
Signed during the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the agreement provides immediate duty-free access for Nigerian agricultural and industrial products such as fish, cereals, oil seeds, cotton, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. Over the next few years, the UAE will phase out tariffs on machinery, vehicles, electrical equipment, apparel, and furniture, creating a more competitive gateway into one of the world’s busiest trading hubs.
Nigeria will reciprocate by eliminating tariffs on roughly 6,000 UAE products, with 60 percent removed immediately and the remainder phased out over five years, while maintaining strategic import prohibitions. The pact also opens up 108 service sectors and sets clear rules of origin to ensure preferential treatment for goods genuinely produced in both countries, as reported by tv360nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan witnessed the signing, highlighting high-level commitment to deepening economic ties. Thisdaylive called the CEPA a strategic platform to advance industrialization, diversify exports, enhance logistics, create jobs, and position Nigeria as a trade gateway into Africa and beyond.
