Nigeria’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates has been described as one of the country’s most ambitious trade pacts in recent years, reshaping market access for Nigerian exporters while reinforcing the government’s push to expand non-oil exports and attract investment.
Under the Agreement, the UAE will eliminate tariffs on 7,315 products imported from Nigeria, opening its market to a wide range of Nigerian agricultural commodities, raw materials, and manufactured goods. For Nigerian exporters, the deal provides predictable access to one of the Middle East’s most important trading hubs and a major gateway to global markets.
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Duty-free access for key Nigerian exports
A major highlight of the CEPA is the immediate removal of tariffs by the UAE on several Nigerian agricultural and primary products. These include fish and seafood, cereals and milling products, oil seeds, live animals and meat products, fruits and nuts, raw hides and skins, leather, cotton, vegetable textile fibres, and other products of animal origin.
The Agreement also grants immediate duty-free access to selected industrial and manufactured goods, such as pharmaceutical products, organic and inorganic chemicals, paper and paperboard, and printed books and newspapers.
Beyond immediate liberalisation, the UAE has committed to removing tariffs over a three- to five-year transition period on additional products critical to Nigeria’s export diversification agenda.
These include cocoa and cocoa preparations, coffee, tea and spices, mineral fuels and petroleum products, wood and wood articles, precious stones and metals, animal and vegetable fats and oils, as well as manufactured goods such as machinery, vehicles, electrical equipment, apparel, furniture, footwear, ceramics, glass, cosmetics, iron and steel articles, paints, dyes, inks, rubber products and chemicals.
Only a limited number of products remain prohibited or excluded by the UAE, notably pork and pork products, narcotic substances, used tyres and asbestos-containing products.
Nigeria’s commitments and market balance
On its part, Nigeria will eliminate tariffs on 6,243 products imported from the UAE, with 63.3 per cent receiving immediate tariff elimination and the remainder phased out over five years.
A total of 123 products are excluded, mainly to protect sensitive domestic sectors such as meat and dairy products, vegetable oils, cocoa preparations, flour and cereal products, tomato paste, alcoholic beverages, soaps and detergents, and certain cotton textiles.
The Agreement also includes clear rules of origin, ensuring that only goods genuinely produced in Nigeria or the UAE benefit from tariff preferences.
Beyond goods, the CEPA significantly deepens cooperation in trade in services. Nigeria has made commitments covering 99 specific services across 10 sectors, while the UAE’s commitments cover 108 services across 11 sectors.
This opens new opportunities for Nigerian professionals and service providers in areas such as business services, construction, logistics and other covered sectors.
Crucially, Nigerian business visitors can now enter the UAE to explore trade and investment opportunities, establish corporate entities, and operate under enhanced legal protections provided by the Agreement.
The agreement, secured by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, is designed to give Nigerian businesses the confidence to expand into the UAE market, attract foreign direct investment, and scale up value-added production.
With preferential access secured for industrial and manufactured exports, the CEPA is expected to accelerate non-oil exports, expand Nigeria’s productive capacity, and support the Federal Government’s broader economic diversification strategy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
From a continental perspective, the ministry explains that the deal reinforces Nigeria’s position as a preferred destination for international investors and a strategic gateway into ECOWAS and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) markets, leveraging the UAE’s role as a global trade and logistics hub.
Following the signing of the Agreement, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) including the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), will commence coordinated implementation efforts aimed at facilitating enhanced trade flows, easing market entry, and accelerating investment between both countries.
