AbuDhabi -- Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that will eliminate tariffs on more than 13,500 products traded between both countries in a move expected to significantly boost non-oil exports, foreign direct investment (FDI) and job creation.

The agreement was signed on 13 January 2026 by Jumoke Oduwole, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, and Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade. The signing was witnessed a day earlier by President Bola Tinubu and President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE.

According to a report by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment obtained by BusinessDay on Tuesday, negotiations were led on the Nigerian side by Oduwole with support from the Federal Ministry of Justice and Nigeria Customs Service.

Under the CEPA, Nigeria will eliminate tariffs on 6,243 products imported from the UAE, while the UAE will remove tariffs on 7,315 products imported from Nigeria, representing one of Nigeria’s most ambitious bilateral trade liberalisation efforts to date.

“Nigeria’s Tariff Commitments Immediate elimination: 3,949 of 6,243 products (63.3%)

Elimination in 5 years: 2,294 of 6,243 products (36.7%) Excluded: 123 products Total products liberalised: 6,243.

“The UAE’s Tariff Commitments Immediate elimination: 2,805 of 7,315 products (38.3%)

Elimination in 3 years: 1,468 of 7,315 products (20.1%) Elimination in 5 years: 3,042 of 7,315 products (41.6%) Excluded/Prohibited: 593 products Total products liberalised: 7,315,”

The Ministry said the agreement was designed to deliver expanded trade opportunities, improved market access, increased flows of high-quality investment and the creation of quality jobs, particularly for Nigeria’s youthful population.

It is also expected to accelerate ongoing and planned investments in agriculture, real estate, digital banking, retail and infrastructure financing. For goods trade, Nigeria will immediately eliminate tariffs on 3,949 products, representing 63.3% of its total commitments, while tariffs on 2,294 products will be phased out over five years. A total of 123 products have been excluded.

On its part, the UAE will immediately eliminate tariffs on 2,805 products, with additional liberalisation covering 1,468 products over three years and 3,042 products over five years, while 593 products are excluded or prohibited.

The UAE’s tariff elimination commitments provide Nigerian exporters with expanded access for a wide range of agricultural, primary, industrial and manufactured goods.

Products benefiting from immediate duty-free access include fish and seafood, cereals, oilseeds, fruits and nuts, live animals and meat products, leather, cotton, pharmaceutical products, chemicals, paper and printed materials.

Other products, including cocoa and cocoa preparations, coffee and spices, petroleum products, machinery, vehicles, apparel, furniture and cosmetics, will enjoy phased tariff removal over three to five years.

Nigeria’s market access offer to the UAE focuses largely on industrial inputs and capital goods, with immediate tariff removal covering machinery, vehicles, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, plastics, metals, chemicals and paper products.