Customs, Ministry Of Trade Launch Nigeria-East/Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor Trade Route
By Asuquo Nuwak
Customs, Ministry Of Trade Launch Nigeria-East/Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor Trade Route
•••Target 50% export price reduction as trade under AfCFTA advances
The Nigeria Customs Service, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, has officially commissioned the Nigeria–East/Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor, marking a major milestone in regional trade facilitation and continental integration, aiming at cutting export freight costs by 50 percent and boost trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.
The report said the historic flag-off event held recently on May 2025, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Intern ational Airport, Abuja, drew key government stakeholders and aviation industry players.
Accordingly, the high-level ceremony featured the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi and Ms Adebola Agunbiade, Director of Commercial and Business Development, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), who represented the Managing Director/CEO, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku.
In his keynote address, CGC Adeniyi described the flag-off as a strategic breakthrough that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and underscores customs’ leadership in AfCFTA implementation.
He is quoted as saying: “This is more than a ceremonial handover, instead it is a gateway to new opportunities for Nigerian businesses and proof that we are ready to lead Africa’s economic transformation through trade”.
Apart from the CGC disclosing that customs facilitated exports valued at ₦136.65 trillion in 2024, a 219.5 percent increase from the previous year, he also added that the first quarter of 2025 exports saw a further 349 percent surge compared to the same period in 2024, underscoring Nigeria’s increasing dominance in regional exports.
He revealed that as part of customs’ commitment to supporting the trade corridor, the Service has introduced several enabling instruments, including issuing AfCFTA Certificates of Origin, digitalising export processes, and creating dedicated AfCFTA units across customs commands.
Commending the inter-agency collaboration that birthed the corridor, CGC Adeniyi urged other regional airlines and cargo operators to replicate the model across maritime, road, and rail routes.
He is quoted as declaring: “This corridor must not stand alone. It is a template for future trade networks connecting seaports, airports, and borders for the prosperity of our people”.
Aside from this, he thanked development partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), FAAN, and all logistics stakeholders, for their professionalism and support in executing the corridor.
In the words of CGC Adeniyi: “As we flag off this strategic route, we are flagging off a future of innovation, jobs, technology, and inclusive prosperity for the African continent”.
In her speech, Hon. Minister Oduwole described the initiative as a practical policy action designed to fast-track Nigeria’s economic diversification through export trade.
In her words: “We are not just talking diversification, we are implementing it. Today’s launch signifies a turning point for our exporters, especially with the negotiated 50% freight rate reduction now in effect”.
She added that the Ministry would continue to support Nigerian businesses in scaling up value-added production and market access under the AfCFTA platform.
According to her, the event’s highlight was the symbolic loading and handover of Nigerian export cargo to Uganda Airlines, signifying the operationalisation of the corridor. The country manager of Uganda airlines, Patrick Ziwa, who received the cargo, also commended Nigeria’s leadership in air cargo innovation within Africa.
Patrick Ziwa is quoted as saying: “This is a strong statement by Nigeria to other African nations that regional trade is not just a vision it is already in motion”.
Ziwa noted that following the loading of cargo, AfCFTA certificates of origin were issued to a group of compliant Nigerian exporters, to enable them access preferential tariff regimes across the East and Southern African markets.
In her remarks, Ms Adebola Agunbiade reaffirmed FAAN’s commitment to providing infrastructure and policies supporting air cargo efficiency.
Adebola Agunbiade is quoted as stating: “FAAN, under the leadership of Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, is fully aligned with the national export strategy and will continue to make our airports drivers of economic development”.
About The Author
