Non-Oil Trade Between Nigeria and UAE Climbs to $5 Billion in 2025
Nigeria and UAE Advance Trade Relations With Record Non-Oil Exchange
Non-oil trade between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached $5 billion in 2025, marking a significant increase from $4.3 billion recorded in 2024 and underscoring the growing economic relationship between both countries. The development was disclosed by the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, during a visit to Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in Abuja. The increase reflects expanding commercial activities, stronger diplomatic engagement and growing investor confidence between the two nations.
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The milestone comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to diversify its economy away from oil dependence and strengthen trade partnerships capable of supporting long-term economic growth and investment.
Non-Oil Trade Records Strong Growth
According to the UAE envoy, bilateral non-oil trade rose from $4.3 billion in 2024 to $5 billion in 2025, representing continued momentum in commercial relations between both countries. The ambassador noted that trade volumes could increase further to approximately $8 billion by 2027 if current levels of engagement and cooperation are sustained.
The growth highlights increasing business activity across sectors outside crude oil, aligning with Nigeria’s broader strategy to expand exports, attract investment and develop non-oil revenue sources.
Economic analysts note that stronger trade diversification can help reduce vulnerability to fluctuations in global commodity prices while supporting broader economic resilience.
New Investments Expected to Strengthen Economic Ties
As part of efforts to deepen economic cooperation, the UAE ambassador announced that the First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) will soon commence operations in Lagos. The bank’s entry into Nigeria is expected to strengthen financial connectivity, facilitate trade financing and create additional opportunities for investors and businesses operating between both countries.
Financial institutions often play a critical role in expanding bilateral trade by improving access to capital, supporting cross-border transactions and facilitating investment flows.
The planned expansion reflects growing confidence among UAE-based institutions in Nigeria’s long-term economic potential.
Etihad Airways to Launch Abuja Operations
The envoy also disclosed that Etihad Airways plans to begin operations to Abuja later in 2026. Industry observers believe the move could improve connectivity between Nigeria and the UAE, supporting tourism, business travel and trade activities.
Improved air links are often considered an important component of economic cooperation because they facilitate the movement of people, goods and services between markets.
The expansion of direct aviation services could further strengthen commercial and investment relationships between the two countries.
Visa Issues Show Signs of Improvement
A key area of concern in Nigeria-UAE relations in recent years has been visa access for Nigerian travellers. According to Ambassador Al-Shamsi, significant progress has been made in resolving these challenges.
The ambassador stated that Nigerians no longer face visa rejections when applying to visit the UAE and revealed that more than 15,000 Nigerians travelled to the country over the past year following the easing of visa restrictions.
Improved travel access is expected to support business engagement, tourism, educational exchanges and investment activities between both nations.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu acknowledged the progress made in addressing visa-related concerns and described the improvements as a positive development for bilateral relations.
Nigeria Seeks Greater Foreign Investment
During the meeting, the Minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for foreign direct investment, including capital from UAE sovereign wealth funds and private sector investors.
Nigeria continues to pursue investment across key sectors such as infrastructure, housing, transportation, renewable energy, manufacturing and technology as part of broader economic diversification efforts.
The government has increasingly emphasised international partnerships as a means of attracting capital, improving infrastructure and supporting economic transformation.
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in Focus
Both countries are also advancing the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), recently signed to strengthen economic relations and create additional opportunities for businesses and professionals.
According to the Minister, the agreement is expected to deepen trade integration, improve market access and support greater collaboration across multiple sectors of the economy.
Trade experts view such agreements as important frameworks for reducing barriers to commerce, increasing investment flows and enhancing long-term economic cooperation.
Implications for Nigeria’s Non-Oil Economy
The growth in trade with the UAE highlights the increasing importance of non-oil sectors in Nigeria’s economic strategy.
As policymakers seek to diversify export earnings and reduce dependence on crude oil revenues, stronger trade relationships with major global partners can support economic resilience and create new opportunities for businesses.
For investors, the expanding Nigeria-UAE partnership signals growing prospects in sectors such as finance, logistics, aviation, real estate, infrastructure and technology.
The development also reflects broader efforts by Nigeria to position itself as a key investment destination within Africa.
Conclusion
The increase in Nigeria-UAE non-oil trade to $5 billion in 2025 marks another step forward in the economic relationship between both countries. With stronger trade volumes, planned investments, improved visa access and the implementation of new economic agreements, bilateral cooperation continues to deepen across multiple sectors.
As both nations work toward expanding trade to a projected $8 billion by 2027, investors, businesses and policymakers will be closely monitoring opportunities emerging from one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing international economic partnerships.
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