By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
Nigeria’s long search for a credible non-oil growth engine may have found fresh momentum in the Middle East.
The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum (TSF) on Monday described the newly signed Nigeria–United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as a decisive economic pivot, one capable of reshaping trade flows, accelerating export diversification and anchoring a deeper strategic partnership between Africa’s largest economy and one of the world’s most dynamic commercial hubs.
In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Ahmad Sajoh, and Secretary, Danjuma Sada, the forum said the agreement fits squarely into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly its focus on private-sector-led growth, job creation and reduced dependence on crude oil.
At the core of the deal is market access on a scale Nigeria has rarely secured.
Under the CEPA framework, 7,315 Nigerian products will enjoy preferential, duty-free entry into the UAE.
Of these, 2,805 items representing over 38 per cent will receive immediate tariff elimination.
Tariffs on another 1,468 products will disappear within three years, while duties on the remaining 3,042 products will be phased out over five years.
For TSF, the numbers tell a compelling story.
“This represents one of the most expansive trade openings secured by Nigeria in recent years,” the group said, arguing that the agreement offers a concrete and time-bound pathway for scaling non-oil exports.
The timing, the forum noted, is hardly accidental.
Nigeria’s economic structure has quietly shifted away from hydrocarbons.
Non-oil sectors now account for an estimated 96 per cent of GDP, with agriculture, manufacturing, services and the digital economy driving growth.
Recent performance data underscores the trend.
The non-oil economy has expanded at an average rate of about 3.9 per cent, with agriculture growing by nearly 3.8 per cent, services by over 4 per cent and information and communications technology (ICT) approaching 6 per cent growth clear signals of momentum outside oil.
TSF said the CEPA is designed to plug directly into this trajectory.
Agriculture stands out as an immediate beneficiary.
Nigerian producers of fish and seafood, cocoa, grains, spices, cotton, fruits and nuts are expected to gain stronger footholds in the UAE market, strengthening value chains and lifting rural incomes.
Manufacturing is also positioned for a lift.
Companies producing pharmaceuticals, chemicals, paper products, footwear, furniture, ceramics and other light industrial goods will benefit from immediate or phased tariff elimination, improving price competitiveness and encouraging value-added production at home.
The textile and apparel industry one of Nigeria’s most labour-intensive sectors is expected to scale exports as duties on garments and fabrics are gradually removed.
Beyond physical goods, the agreement opens a new frontier in the services trade.
Nigerian firms and professionals in the creative industries, ICT, media, tourism, finance, architecture, engineering, consulting and healthcare will now operate under clearer and more predictable access rules to the UAE market.
According to TSF, this could accelerate the export of Nigerian expertise, enable commercial presence abroad and deepen integration into global value chains particularly for the country’s fast-growing digital and creative economy.
Export data suggests a foundation is already in place.
Nigeria’s non-oil export earnings rose to about $5.46 billion in 2024, marking a 20.8 per cent year-on-year increase.
The upward trend continued in 2025, with over $3.2 billion recorded in the first half of the year alone nearly 20 per cent higher than the same period the previous year.
The CEPA, the group said, is expected to build on this momentum by offering exporters a stable, high-value market while also attracting stronger investment inflows.
Beyond economics, TSF highlighted the agreement’s diplomatic weight.
The deal signals a reset in Nigeria–UAE relations, anchored on mutual confidence, long-term economic interest and strategic cooperation.
“It reinforces Nigeria’s position as a credible investment destination and as a gateway to the ECOWAS region and the African Continental Free Trade Area,” the statement said.
The forum urged Nigerian businesses, exporters and professionals to move quickly, warning that the benefits of the agreement will depend heavily on private-sector readiness and execution.
If effectively implemented, TSF concluded, the Nigeria–UAE CEPA could become more than a trade pact emerging instead as a catalyst for industrial expansion, higher export earnings and a durable shift toward inclusive, non-oil-driven growth.
