Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole
Nigeria’s bilateral relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will soon get a boost as the First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) opens in Lagos.
This is as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said both countries were working towards the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which they had signed, noting that it would transform economic ties between the two nations and deliver tangible benefits for Nigerian businesses, professionals and workers.
The UAE’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, who disclosed this during a visit to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, also said the country’s leading carrier, Etihad Airlines, would commence Abuja operations this year.
Nigeria holds its relations with the UAE in the highest esteem, and the two countries have maintained warm, cordial, and mutually beneficial diplomatic ties since 1971.
Economic relations between the two countries have remained robust and dynamic, especially in non-oil trade, driven by strong trade flows, investment partnerships, and people-to-people exchanges.
The Ambassador applauded his country’s relationship with Nigeria, noting that non-oil trade between them grew from $4.3 billion in 2024 to $5 billion in 2025. He projected that it might hit about $8 billion in 2027.
He further disclosed that visa restrictions had been eased for Nigerians, explaining that there were no longer visa rejections for Nigerian nationals travelling to the UAE.
Ambassador Al-Shamsi presented a letter of congratulations to Odumegwu-Ojukwu on her assumption of office as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In her remarks, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria remained firmly committed to creating an enabling environment for Foreign Direct Investment, including from UAE-based sovereign wealth funds, and private sector entities.
