FG Expands AfCFTA Export Corridor With New RwandAir Cargo Partnership
The Federal Government has expanded Nigeria’s African Continental Free Trade Area export corridor through a new partnership with RwandAir aimed at reducing cargo transportation costs and opening additional trade routes into East and Southern Africa.
The agreement, announced by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment on Sunday to mark Africa Day 2026, extends the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor to Kigali, Rwanda; Harare, Zimbabwe; and Lusaka, Zambia.
The arrangement also provides Nigerian exporters with an additional carrier option on the Nairobi and Johannesburg routes.
According to the ministry, the initiative is designed to address high logistics and transportation costs that have long hindered Nigerian exporters from competing effectively in African markets.
The ministry stated that cargo rates on the new RwandAir routes would cost less than $2 per kilogramme across all five destinations, compared to previous charges ranging from $3 to $10 per kilogramme before the establishment of the corridor.
The statement noted that the Federal Government had initially launched the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor in 2025 through a partnership with Uganda Airlines.
It explained that the earlier arrangement provided exporters with discounted cargo rates of up to 70 per cent below prevailing commercial charges for goods transported to Entebbe, Nairobi and Johannesburg.
The ministry said the new RwandAir partnership would further strengthen Nigeria’s implementation of the AfCFTA agreement by improving market access and lowering export costs for local businesses.
Speaking on the development, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said the government was beginning to witness practical results from its AfCFTA implementation strategy.
She said the initiative was created to solve the challenge of expensive cargo transportation, which had limited the ability of Nigerian businesses to access African markets competitively.
According to her, Nigeria’s non-oil exports to African countries increased from $150m in 2024 to $207m in 2025, reflecting the impact of ongoing trade reforms.
Oduwole added that the partnership with RwandAir would enable more Nigerian exporters to reach additional African markets at competitive costs.
She described the development as evidence of what could be achieved when government provides an enabling environment for businesses to grow.
The minister also commended the governments of Uganda and Rwanda for supporting the initiative, alongside Nigerian agencies and private sector organisations involved in the project.
Among the agencies recognised were the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.
The ministry disclosed that negotiations leading to the agreement were coordinated in collaboration with technical advisers from the United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Africa and the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office.
It added that the partnership emerged as one of the early outcomes of bilateral discussions between President Bola Tinubu and Rwandan President Paul Kagame during the 13th Africa CEO Forum held in Kigali on May 13, 2026.
The government stated that the expanded cargo corridor is expected to boost Nigeria’s export competitiveness, especially for time-sensitive and high-value products.
Sectors expected to benefit from the initiative include agribusiness, fashion and textiles, cosmetics, processed foods and light manufacturing.
The ministry urged exporters, freight operators and business associations to take advantage of the expanded corridor to increase the presence of Nigerian products across African markets.
It advised interested exporters to contact licensed freight forwarders or cargo desks operated by Uganda Airlines and RwandAir at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
