By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have renewed their commitment to strengthening bilateral trade, investment and economic cooperation, with both countries exploring new opportunities in technology, aviation, infrastructure and financial services.
The commitment was made when the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, received the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Alshamsi, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja on Wednesday.
The meeting reviewed developments in bilateral trade and investment, economic cooperation, connectivity, emerging technologies and people-to-people relations.
Alshamsi congratulated Enikanolaiye on his appointment and assured him of the UAE Embassy’s readiness to work closely with the ministry in advancing the shared interests of both countries.
The ambassador highlighted the significant growth in bilateral trade, which rose from about $3 billion to $4.3 billion in 2024 and approximately $5 billion in 2025.
He expressed optimism that stronger political relations between Nigeria and the UAE would further drive trade and investment.
The discussions also focused on the Nigeria-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Alshamsi disclosed that the agreement had been ratified by the UAE and expressed hope that its completion on the Nigerian side would pave the way for increased bilateral trade and investment.
He also highlighted plans for the commencement of Emirates Airline operations in Abuja, noting that consultations with relevant Nigerian authorities were ongoing to strengthen aviation connectivity between the two countries.
Enikanolaiye appreciated the UAE’s continued commitment to Nigeria and welcomed the growth in non-oil trade and investment.
He said stronger economic relations with the UAE aligned with Nigeria’s economic diplomacy priorities, particularly the diversification of export markets and the promotion of manufacturing, services, technology and fintech.
The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to completing the necessary processes for CEPA implementation and called for the early convening of the Nigeria-UAE Joint Commission to resolve outstanding issues and identify new areas of cooperation.
Both sides also identified artificial intelligence, digital technology and other emerging technologies as areas with significant potential for collaboration.
The Nigerian delegation expressed interest in knowledge transfer, skills development and capacity building, particularly for young Nigerians, while welcoming increased UAE investment in priority sectors such as infrastructure, technology, energy and financial services.
The meeting further underscored the importance of people-to-people relations, with both sides welcoming progress in resolving previous visa-related challenges.
They noted that improved visa arrangements would facilitate greater movement between Nigeria and the UAE for business, investment, tourism and other purposes.
Enikanolaiye reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working closely with the UAE to consolidate bilateral relations.
Both sides expressed confidence that sustained political engagement, stronger economic cooperation and closer institutional collaboration would translate the longstanding Nigeria-UAE relationship into greater benefits for the citizens of both countries.
