The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), in partnership with RwandAir, has officially launched an expanded air cargo corridor connecting Nigeria with East and Southern Africa. This significant milestone represents a practical step by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and boost intra-African trade.
According to an official statement issued by the ministry, this strategic partnership establishes cargo rates below $2 per kilogram across five key destinations. This highly subsidized tariff is specifically designed to minimize transit costs for Nigerian exporters who hold a valid AfCFTA Certificate of Origin issued by the Nigeria Customs Service. The newly expanded network covers vital trade routes from Nigeria to Kigali in Rwanda, Lusaka in Zambia, Harare in Zimbabwe, Nairobi in Kenya, and Johannesburg in South Africa.
Prior to the establishment of this dedicated cargo corridor, many Nigerian businesses faced exorbitant shipping costs ranging from $3 to as high as $10 per kilogram for goods destined for East and Southern African markets. These prohibitive logistics fees severely crippled the competitiveness of Made-in-Nigeria products and limited local manufacturers from accessing lucrative regional markets.
The ministry emphasized that the expanded corridor directly addresses these historical bottlenecks by providing faster, more affordable, and highly predictable logistics options for domestic enterprises. Consequently, the government has urged local exporters, business associations, logistics operators, and micro, small, and medium enterprises to fully capitalize on this corridor to scale their operations across the continent.
Speaking at the official flag-off ceremony held in Lagos, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, described the partnership as a concrete demonstration of Nigeria’s commitment to making the AfCFTA work for real businesses. She noted that the administration’s primary goal is to make it both easier and cheaper for Nigerian companies to trade across Africa.
Reflecting on the journey, she stated that the corridor was initially launched a year ago to solve the real-world problem of high transport costs, and today’s expansion with RwandAir broadens those options significantly. Furthermore, she highlighted that with eight local businesses receiving their AfCFTA Certificates of Origin at the ceremony, the initiative proves it is about tangible market access and real exports rather than just theoretical policy.
The expanded air cargo corridor is projected to provide vital logistical support to exporters operating within high-growth sectors. These industries include agribusiness, fashion and textiles, cosmetics, processed foods, light manufacturing, and various other locally produced commodities. Ultimately, this trade facilitation framework is expected to contribute heavily to Nigeria’s broader economic goals of aggressive industrialization and export diversification away from crude oil dependency.
Commenting on the landmark collaboration, the Director of Cargo Services at RwandAir, Mr. Jean Bosco Gakwaya, expressed enthusiasm about connecting Nigerian manufacturers to key markets across East and Southern Africa using RwandAir’s extensive aviation network. He described the partnership as a pivotal moment for intra-African trade and a transformation in how goods move across the continent.
He added that the airline’s ability to efficiently bridge businesses and regional markets reinforces the critical role that air cargo plays in driving Africa’s collective economic development.
This strategic commercial cooperation with RwandAir also reflects the strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and Rwanda. The agreement follows high-level bilateral engagements between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, which took place on the sidelines of the 13th Africa CEO Forum held in Kigali in May 2026.
The ministry further recalled that the Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor was originally initiated in 2025 through a foundational partnership with Uganda Airlines, which initially opened up subsidized access to Entebbe, Nairobi, and Johannesburg. With RwandAir now integrating into the corridor, Nigerian exporters gain access to a much wider network and a vastly reinforced logistics infrastructure.
The successful expansion of the trade route was made possible through the collaborative efforts of several key institutions, including the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council.
The initiative also received strong backing from private licensed freight forwarders, various business associations, and the United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Africa.
