Nigeria has signed a new air cargo partnership with RwandAir to expand its African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) export corridor, aiming to reduce logistics costs and improve access for Nigerian goods to markets in East and Southern Africa.
The agreement builds on Nigeria’s earlier partnership with Uganda Airlines and marks a further step in the country’s effort to strengthen intra-African trade under the AfCFTA framework.
According to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the new arrangement will extend the cargo corridor to Kigali, Harare and Lusaka, while also providing exporters with an additional carrier option on routes to Nairobi and Johannesburg.
The airline involved in the deal is RwandAir, which will now operate alongside Uganda Airlines in facilitating lower-cost air freight for Nigerian exporters.
Officials said the initiative is designed to address one of the major constraints facing African trade: high logistics costs that limit the competitiveness of regional exports.
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Before the corridor was established, exporters reportedly paid between $3 and $10 per kilogramme to move goods into East and Southern African markets, making Nigerian products less competitive.
Under the new arrangement, cargo rates on RwandAir routes are expected to fall below $2 per kilogramme across the five destination markets, significantly reducing transport costs for exporters.
The initiative is part of Nigeria’s broader implementation of the AfCFTA, which aims to boost trade between African countries by reducing tariffs, improving infrastructure and enhancing cross-border logistics systems.
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African Continental Free Trade Area is seen by policymakers as a key driver of industrialisation and regional value chain integration across Africa.
Officials say Nigeria’s air cargo corridor has already delivered early gains. Non-oil exports to African markets reportedly rose from $150 million in 2024 to $207 million in 2025, reflecting increased competitiveness and improved market access.
The government said the RwandAir partnership will be formally inaugurated in June 2026 and is expected to deepen trade links between West Africa and Eastern and Southern African economies.
Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said the initiative demonstrates that AfCFTA implementation is beginning to deliver practical benefits for businesses.
She said the government’s goal was to ensure that exporters could access African markets at costs that allow them to compete effectively, rather than being constrained by high transport expenses.
The new corridor also highlights growing cooperation between African airlines and governments in developing regional logistics networks to support trade integration.
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Stakeholders involved in the project include the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council and private sector chambers of commerce.
Analysts say that while air cargo remains more expensive than sea freight, targeted corridors such as this could play a critical role in supporting high-value, time-sensitive exports such as agricultural produce, manufactured goods and pharmaceuticals.
The initiative also reflects a broader shift in African trade policy toward reducing reliance on external logistics routes and strengthening intra-African connectivity under the AfCFTA framework.
If successfully implemented, the expanded corridor could further position Nigeria as a regional export hub while improving market integration across West, East and Southern Africa.
