In a major breakthrough during the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates officially signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
The agreement, signed during a bilateral meeting between President Bola Tinubu and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, marks the formal end to previous diplomatic frictions and sets a new course for massive trade expansion and investment protection.
1. Key Highlights of the CEPA Trade Deal
The agreement is designed to dismantle trade barriers and provide legal certainty for investors in both nations.
| Feature | Details of the Agreement |
| Tariff Removal (UAE) | The UAE will eliminate tariffs on over 7,000 Nigerian products, including agricultural goods (fish, seafood, cereals) and industrial items (pharmaceuticals, chemicals). |
| Tariff Removal (Nigeria) | Nigeria will scrap tariffs on over 6,000 UAE products, with 63.3% of these being removed immediately. |
| Investment Protection | Provides a robust legal framework to safeguard UAE investments in Nigeria and protect Nigerian businesses and factories operating in Dubai. |
| Business Mobility | Business visitors can stay for up to 90 days in a year; corporate executives and specialists can relocate under renewable three-year visas. |
2. Sectoral Priorities: Gas-to-Power and Green Finance
Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that Nigeria is leveraging this platform to solve its domestic electricity crisis through “bankable” projects.
-
Gas-to-Power: Nigeria is seeking UAE partners to invest in converting vast natural gas reserves into electricity.5 Ongoing pipeline construction and new licensing rounds for gas acreage were highlighted as key entry points for UAE firms.
-
Climate Investment: At the ADSW Summit, President Tinubu unveiled the Nigeria Climate Investment Platform, aiming to mobilize $500 million for resilient infrastructure, alongside a $2 billion National Climate Change Fund.
-
Investopia Lagos: Tinubu announced that Nigeria will co-host Investopia (the UAE’s global investment platform) in Lagos in February 2026, specifically to attract capital for sustainable projects.
3. Diplomatic Restoration and Business Ease
The signing of the CEPA follows the successful resolution of past challenges, including:
-
Trapped Funds: The resolution of airline operators’ funds that were previously stuck in Nigeria.
-
Visa Restrictions: The full restoration of travel and business visas for Nigerians.
-
Financial Integration: Nigerians can now travel to the UAE and use their local bank cards without previous restrictions, significantly boosting business confidence.9
4. Why ADSW 2026 Matters
Coming just after COP30 in Brazil (held in late 2025), Tuggar noted that the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week serves as a critical bridge to prevent global climate commitments from becoming a “talk shop.”10 For Nigeria, it is the designated venue to transition from climate declarations to signed commercial contracts.
“For us, we want to ensure that the dignity of Nigerians is upheld and Nigerians are respected wherever they go to invest… protecting investments abroad is also about national pride.” — Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar
