By Progress Godfrey
ABUJA — Nigeria has signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which would grant duty-free access to over 7,000 Nigerian products and deepen trade, investment and services cooperation between both countries.
The minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), Dr Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday evening, explaining that the CEPA would attract foreign investments and prioritise market access for goods and services, and also strengthen Nigeria’s push for economic diversification under the Tinubu administration.
According to the statement, the negotiation was led by Dr Oduwole, following months of technical engagements with UAE counterparts.
For exporters, Oduwole said the UAE will immediately eliminate tariffs on Nigerian agricultural and industrial products including fish and seafood, oil seeds, cereals, cotton, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, with more products added over time.
Speaking on the delivery of the agreement, the minister said, “For Nigerian exporters, the UAE will eliminate tariffs on over 7,000 products. Immediately, our agricultural and industrial products – fish and seafood, oil seeds, cereals, cotton, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and more, will enter the UAE market duty-free.
“Over the next three to five years, the UAE will eliminate tariffs on Nigerian machinery, vehicles, electrical equipment, apparel, and furniture. Nigerian industrial exports now have a clear and competitive pathway into one of the world’s most dynamic trading hubs. In addition, Nigerian businesses can establish operations in the UAE through new corporate entities, branches, and subsidiaries.”
Beyond goods, she said the agreement allows Nigerian business visitors entry into the UAE for up to 90 days annually, while managers, executives and specialists can relocate under renewable three-year permits.
The minister stated that Nigeria, on its part, agreed to eliminate tariffs on about 6,000 products, mostly industrial inputs and capital goods, with 60 percent removed immediately and the rest phased over five years.
“These imports are concentrated in industrial inputs, capital goods, and machinery that will strengthen Nigeria’s productive capacity. Nigeria’s Import Prohibition List remains in effect,” she added.
Oduwole said the CEPA expands Nigeria’s services market access, with commitments covering 99 services across 10 key sectors, while positioning the country as a strategic gateway for global investors targeting Africa’s 1.4 billion-person market under the African Continental Free Trade Area, (AfCFTA) framework.
She added that the agreement aligns fully with Nigeria’s World Trade Organisation (WTO), AfCFTA, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) obligations, while commending her UAE counterpart, Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade and the UAE negotiation team for the collaborative effort.
“To the Nigerian private sector: this Agreement was negotiated for you. I urge you to identify your opportunities with enhanced market access and move with confidence into the UAE market with the protections we have secured for you,” the minister said.
The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment assured that coordinated implementation with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) would ensure that Nigerian businesses swiftly leverage the agreement, as Nigeria deepens its integration into global trade flows.
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