The United Kingdom has officially granted duty-free access to over 3,500 Nigerian products, under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), in a move aimed at strengthening bilateral trade and unlocking new opportunities for export-led growth in Africa’s largest economy.
According to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the DCTS is designed to simplify trading rules, reduce tariffs, and improve market access for developing nations. Nigeria, as a beneficiary, will now enjoy duty-free exports across a broad range of sectors including agriculture, textiles, manufactured goods, and food products.
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“This scheme supports Nigeria’s diversification agenda and opens up the UK market to a wider range of Nigerian goods,” said Dr. Richard Montgomery, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, during a trade briefing in Abuja. According to him, the initiative is projected to reduce trade costs, stimulate job creation, and enhance value chain participation for Nigerian exporters.
Strengthening Nigeria–UK Trade Relations
The DCTS replaces the UK’s previous Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) and is considered one of the most generous trade preference regimes in the world, covering up to 99% of tariff lines for eligible countries, according to the UK Department for Business and Trade.
For Nigeria, the scheme is expected to provide a competitive edge in exporting products such as cocoa, sesame, cashew, ginger, leather goods, apparel, and processed foods, sectors that have historically been constrained by tariff barriers and technical regulations.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has welcomed the development, stating that it complements ongoing efforts to increase non-oil exports and improve the country’s trade balance. “This is a strategic window to scale up Nigerian brands globally and reduce dependency on crude oil revenues,” said Ezra Yakusak, Executive Director of NEPC.
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Compliance and Capacity Building
To maximize benefits, Nigerian exporters will need to meet sanitary and phytosanitary standards, as well as rules of origin requirements stipulated by the UK. According to trade officials, technical assistance and capacity-building programs are being planned in collaboration with UKAid and other partners to help Nigerian SMEs navigate these trade requirements.
The scheme also introduces simplified documentation, faster customs clearance, and digital tools for compliance, making it more accessible to small and medium-sized exporters.
Economic Outlook
According to data from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), total trade in goods and services between Nigeria and the UK stood at £7.6 billion (₦12.7 trillion) in 2024, with Nigeria enjoying a modest trade surplus. Analysts believe the DCTS will further expand this figure by unlocking underutilized export sectors.
Trade economists at PwC Nigeria note that if strategically implemented, the scheme could contribute up to $2 billion annually in new export revenues by 2027, supporting industrial development, foreign exchange earnings, and rural employment.
