Nigeria’s Exports to East, Southern Africa Now N1trn

Nigeria’s Exports to East, Southern Africa Now N1trn

Nigeria’s exports to countries in Eastern and Southern Africa rose by 42.95 per cent to N1.03tn in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring the growing importance of intra-African trade and setting the stage for further expansion following the Federal Government’s launch of an enlarged air cargo corridor linking Nigerian exporters to more markets across the continent.

Nigeria’s exports to countries along the East-Southern Africa trade corridor climbed to N1.03tn in the first quarter of 2026 from N718.79bn recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, according to an analysis of the National Bureau of Statistics Foreign Trade in Goods report.

The strong performance comes as the Federal Government seeks to deepen implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and expand access for Nigerian businesses to regional markets.

While the first-quarter figures predate the latest expansion of the corridor, the government is optimistic that there is potential that could be unlocked as Nigeria broadens logistics connections to more destinations across Eastern and Southern Africa.

On June 19, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, in partnership with RwandAir, flagged off the inaugural shipment under the expanded Nigeria-East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor.

The initiative extends the network beyond the original destinations served through Uganda Airlines and opens additional export routes to Kigali in Rwanda, Lusaka in Zambia and Harare in Zimbabwe. It also provides Nigerian exporters with an additional carrier option on the Nairobi and Johannesburg routes.

Under the arrangement, cargo rates on RwandAir-operated routes are set at below $2 per kilogramme for exporters holding AfCFTA…