Nigeria, UAE Move to Unlock $5bn Trade, Aviation and Tech Opportunities as Abuja Pushes for CEPA By Raymond Enoch
Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are stepping up efforts to transform their longstanding diplomatic relationship into a deeper economic partnership, with bilateral trade now approaching $5 billion and fresh emphasis on aviation, investment, technology and the movement of people.
The renewed push emerged on Wednesday when the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, received the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Alshamsi, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.
At the high-level meeting, both countries reviewed the state of bilateral relations and identified trade and investment, economic cooperation, aviation connectivity, emerging technologies and people-to-people relations as key areas for accelerated cooperation.
A major focus was the Nigeria-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which the UAE has already ratified.
The UAE Ambassador expressed optimism that completion of the agreement on the Nigerian side would provide a stronger platform for expanding trade and investment between both countries.
The discussions assume added significance against the backdrop of rapidly expanding commercial relations. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bilateral trade rose from approximately $3 billion to $4.3 billion in 2024, before reaching about $5 billion in 2025.
Alshamsi, who congratulated Enikanolaiye on his appointment, reaffirmed the UAE Embassy’s readiness to work closely with the Nigerian government to advance shared economic and strategic interests.
Aviation connectivity also featured prominently during the meeting, with both sides discussing the proposed commencement of Emirates Airline operations in Abuja.
The UAE Ambassador said consultations were continuing with relevant Nigerian authorities towards strengthening air connectivity between the two countries.
The development could further deepen commercial, tourism and investment links by improving direct connectivity between Nigeria’s political capital and the UAE, one of Africa’s most important international aviation and business hubs.
For Nigeria, stronger aviation connectivity is also expected to support the country’s broader efforts to attract foreign investment, expand tourism and facilitate business travel.
The Minister of State welcomed the UAE’s continued commitment to Nigeria, particularly the growth in non-oil trade and investment.
He said closer economic relations with the UAE align with Nigeria’s economic diplomacy priorities, including the diversification of export markets and the expansion of manufacturing, services, technology and fintech.
Enikanolaiye also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to concluding the processes required for CEPA implementation.
He called for the early convening of the Nigeria-UAE Joint Commission, which he said would provide an important mechanism for resolving outstanding issues while identifying new areas of cooperation.
Beyond trade, Abuja is seeking to broaden the relationship into emerging areas of the global economy, particularly artificial intelligence, digital technology and other frontier technologies.
The Nigerian side expressed interest in UAE-supported knowledge transfer, skills development and capacity building, with particular attention to young Nigerians.
The Federal Government also welcomed greater UAE investment in strategic sectors of the Nigerian economy, including infrastructure, technology, energy and financial services.
The emphasis reflects an emerging shift in Nigeria’s engagement with major economic partners—from conventional trade and investment toward partnerships capable of supporting technology transfer, skills development and domestic productive capacity.
Visa challenges and people-to-people ties
The meeting also addressed the human dimension of Nigeria-UAE relations.
Both sides welcomed progress in resolving previous visa-related challenges, noting that smoother movement between the two countries would facilitate business, investment, tourism and other forms of people-to-people interaction.
The development is particularly significant given the extensive commercial, professional and social links between Nigerians and the UAE.
The two governments expressed confidence that sustained political engagement, stronger economic cooperation and closer institutional collaboration would translate the cordial relationship into tangible benefits for citizens and businesses in both countries.
The meeting therefore signals a renewed effort by Abuja and Abu Dhabi to move their relationship beyond traditional diplomatic ties towards a more integrated trade, investment, aviation and technology partnership, with CEPA and improved connectivity emerging as immediate priorities.
