Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have pledged to deepen bilateral relations by expanding cooperation in trade, investment, technology, aviation and people-to-people exchanges.
The commitment was made during a meeting between the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Alshamsi, and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.
According to a statement by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the discussions covered economic cooperation, bilateral trade and investment, connectivity, emerging technologies and relations between the citizens of both countries.
Alshamsi congratulated Enikanolaiye on his appointment and assured him of the UAE Embassy’s willingness to work with the ministry to advance areas of mutual interest.
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The ambassador noted the steady increase in trade between Nigeria and the UAE, which grew from about $3 billion to $4.3 billion in 2024 and reached approximately $5 billion in 2025.
He said the rising figures reflected the potential for deeper economic engagement and expressed confidence that stronger political ties would create more opportunities for businesses and investors in both countries.
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The two officials also discussed progress towards the implementation of the Nigeria-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
Alshamsi said the UAE had ratified the agreement and expressed hope that Nigeria would complete its own processes to enable the pact to take effect.
He described CEPA as an important instrument for expanding trade, attracting investment and creating fresh opportunities for businesses in both countries.
Enikanolaiye welcomed the expansion of non-oil trade and investment, saying stronger economic relations with the UAE aligned with Nigeria’s economic diplomacy objectives.
The minister stressed the importance of opening new export markets while promoting manufacturing, services, technology and fintech as part of efforts to transform Nigeria’s economy.
He also called for the early convening of the Nigeria-UAE Joint Commission to resolve outstanding issues and identify additional areas of cooperation.
Aviation, Technology Cooperation Gets Attention
The proposed commencement of Emirates Airline operations in Abuja also featured in the discussions.
Alshamsi said consultations were continuing with relevant Nigerian authorities to improve air connectivity between the two countries.
Both sides also identified artificial intelligence, digital technology and other emerging technologies as areas with significant potential for cooperation.
Nigeria expressed interest in knowledge transfer, technical skills development and capacity building, particularly for young people.
The Nigerian government also welcomed increased UAE investment in priority sectors such as infrastructure, technology, energy and financial services.
Nigeria, UAE Address Visa Challenges
The meeting further highlighted the importance of stronger people-to-people links.
Both countries welcomed progress in addressing previous visa-related challenges, saying improved movement would support business, investment, tourism and other exchanges.
The two sides expressed confidence that continued political engagement, stronger economic cooperation and closer institutional ties would further strengthen relations and deliver greater benefits to Nigerians and UAE citizens.
