UAE and Nigeria sign Cepa to ease trade barriers

The UAE and Nigeria have signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (Cepa) to reduce tariffs and trade barriers, with the aim of boosting bilateral commerce and investment.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his counterpart Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended the Cepa signing ceremony on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, UAE state news agency Wam reported.

The agreement will bolster investment and create opportunities in critical sectors such as technology, agriculture, precious metals and energy, the report said.

Nigeria is one of the largest and fastest-growing African economies. Non-oil trade between the two nations reached $4.3 billion in 2024, a 55 percent year-on-year increase. 

In the first nine months of 2025, bilateral non-oil trade stood at $3.1 billion, Wam reported. 

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The Cepa programme is an important pillar of the UAE’s trade strategy, which aims to increase non-oil foreign commerce to $1.1 trillion by 2031.

The UAE signed a Cepa with Kenya and the Central African Republic last year. Negotiations on a deal with Chad have been completed.

The UAE has concluded 32 Cepas, including with India, Malaysia, Angola, Ukraine, New Zealand and the Philippines, with 14 already in force.