Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to eliminate tariffs on more than 13,000 goods under a newly signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a move aimed at expanding trade, boosting non-oil exports, and attracting investment.
Under the deal, Nigeria will scrap tariffs on 6,243 products imported from the UAE, while the UAE will remove tariffs on 7,315 Nigerian exports. The agreement, signed on January 13, 2026, is expected to significantly improve market access for Nigerian goods, businesses, and professionals.
The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment disclosed that Nigeria will immediately eliminate tariffs on 3,949 products—about 63.3 per cent of the total—while tariffs on 2,294 items will be phased out over five years. A total of 123 products have been excluded from tariff liberalisation.
On its part, the UAE will remove tariffs immediately on 2,805 products, phase out duties on 1,468 items within three years, and on 3,042 products over five years. The UAE excluded or prohibited 593 products from the agreement.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, signed the pact alongside the UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, in the presence of President Bola Tinubu and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The ministry described the agreement as a comprehensive framework designed to expand trade opportunities, improve export access, encourage high-quality investments, and create jobs, particularly for young Nigerians.
The tariff removals will open the UAE market to a broad range of Nigerian agricultural, primary, industrial, and manufactured products. Items set for immediate tariff elimination include fish and seafood, cereals, oilseeds, live animals and meat products, fruits and nuts, cotton, hides and skins, and other animal products. Tariffs on cocoa, coffee, tea, spices, mineral fuels, wood products, precious stones, and fats and oils will be removed within three to five years.
For industrial goods, the UAE will immediately lift tariffs on pharmaceuticals, chemicals, paper products, books, and newspapers, while duties on machinery, vehicles, electrical equipment, apparel, furniture, footwear, ceramics, and glass will be phased out over time. However, import bans will remain on 35 items, including pork products, narcotics, used tyres, and asbestos-containing goods.
Nigeria, in turn, will grant market access to UAE industrial and consumer goods by immediately removing tariffs on mineral fuels, machinery, vehicles, electrical equipment, iron and steel, plastics, and related products. Tariffs on fish, fruits, vegetables, and apparel will be phased out over five years. Nigeria excluded sensitive items such as meat and dairy products, vegetable oils, cocoa preparations, cereal products, tomato paste, alcoholic beverages, soaps, detergents, and some textile inputs.
The ministry noted that Nigeria’s existing import prohibition list remains unaffected by the agreement.
Beyond goods, the CEPA also covers services and investment. Nigeria made commitments in 99 service areas across 10 sectors, while the UAE committed to 108 services across 11 sectors. Nigerian business visitors will be able to enter the UAE for trade and investment purposes, and Nigerian companies will be allowed to establish corporate entities there.
The Federal Government said the agreement aligns with Nigeria’s obligations under the World Trade Organisation, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and ECOWAS frameworks. It added that implementation would be coordinated with relevant agencies to ensure increased trade and investment flows between both countries.
Exporters and investors were advised to seek further guidance on product coverage, rules of origin, and export procedures from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and related agencies.
