The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) has announced a major expansion of Nigeria's implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) through a new partnership with RwandAir for the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor. This announcement was made as part of the celebration of Africa Day 2026.
Dramatic Reduction in Cargo Costs
Before the corridor's establishment, Nigerian exporters faced cargo costs between $3 and $10 per kilogram for goods sent to East and Southern Africa, making trade prohibitive and reducing the price competitiveness of Nigerian goods. Under the new partnership with RwandAir, cargo rates are set at under $2 per kilogram for all five destinations, representing a drop of over 80% per kilogram.
Expansion of Routes
On Africa Day last year, the FMITI launched the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor through a partnership with Uganda Airlines. This partnership provided Nigerian exporters with tiered and rebated rates of up to 70% below those of other commercial carriers for goods exported to Entebbe, Uganda; Nairobi, Kenya; and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Today, the ministry's partnership with RwandAir has extended the corridor to Kigali, Harare, and Lusaka as new destinations, and gives Nigerian exporters a second choice of carrier on the Nairobi and Johannesburg routes. The RwandAir partnership will be formally flagged off next month.
Minister's Statement
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, stated: “One year ago, we promised that the AfCFTA would work in practice for Nigerian businesses, not only on paper. We set out to solve a practical problem. Nigerian businesses have goods that African markets wanted, but the cost of cargo was too high. This corridor has kept that promise, and our whole-of-economy approach to AfCFTA implementation is yielding results.
“Nigeria’s non-oil exports to other African markets rose from $150 million in 2024 to $207 million in 2025. With RwandAir, we are widening the air cargo corridor, so that more Nigerian exporters can reach more markets at a cost that allows them to compete. These results show what is possible when government creates the enabling environment and businesses respond with ambition.”
Collaboration and Acknowledgments
The minister acknowledged the collaboration that made the corridor possible and expressed appreciation to the Governments of Uganda and Rwanda, Uganda Airlines and RwandAir, as well as Nigerian government institutions and private sector stakeholders who contributed to the initiative’s success. These include the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, and other business associations, as well as the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa.
She added that negotiations with RwandAir were led by herself and conducted by a technical team comprising technical advisers from the United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Africa and the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office.
Strategic Importance
“This strategic partnership also reflects an immediate outcome of the cooperation framework established during the bilateral meeting of Presidents Tinubu and Kagame of Rwanda, on the sidelines of the 13th Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, on May 13, 2026.”
The Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor is expected to support exporters in high-growth sectors including agribusiness, fashion and textiles, cosmetics, light manufacturing, and processed foods. It will also contribute to Nigeria’s industrial and export diversification agenda.
How Exporters Can Benefit
She encouraged business associations, exporters, logistics operators, and other stakeholders to engage actively and leverage this opportunity to scale Nigerian products across the continent.
“Nigerian businesses seeking to use the corridor can contact licensed freight forwarders or the Uganda Airlines and RwandAir cargo desks at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Full details, including rates and guidance on completing trade formalities, are set out in the report, Accelerating Routes for Nigerian Exports into the AfCFTA,” she explained.
