Tinubu Lauds Strategic Industrial And Trade Pact With UAE Partners

Tinubu lauds strategic industrial and trade pact with UAE partners

• President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has praised what he described as a significant industrial and economic breakthrough in relations between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BUA Group and UAE-based AD Ports Group and MAIR Group.
• The President said the agreement reflects the widening diplomatic and economic engagement between the two countries under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises trade, investment, infrastructure and food security.
• Tinubu described the partnership as “a tangible dividend of strengthened diplomatic ties”, underscoring a broader push for Nigeria to become more competitive in global industrial and trading networks.
  WHAT THE MoU COVERS Industrial, Logistics
• The strategic MoU signed by BUA Group, AD Ports Group and MAIR Group in Abu Dhabi outlines cooperation in sugar refining, agro-industrial development and integrated global logistics solutions.
• As part of the agreement, segments of sugar refining and advanced logistics infrastructure will be developed in the UAE, aiming to enhance value addition, reinforce supply chain resilience and deepen structured trade flows between West Africa and the Gulf region.
• Tinubu emphasised that such partnerships are a sign of international confidence in Nigeria’s reform agenda and offer Nigerian businesses opportunities to operate globally and attract further international investment.
  BROADER NIGERIA–UAE ECONOMIC ENGAGEMENT
• On the sidelines of recent high-level engagements including Nigeria’s participation at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026 Nigeria and the UAE also signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to deepen cooperation across multiple sectors.
• Separately, AD Ports Group signed an MoU with the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to explore collaboration in ports development, maritime logistics, digital trade infrastructure and economic zones, highlighting ongoing efforts to expand maritime sector ties.
  PRESIDENT TINUBU’S MESSAGE & POLICY CONTEXT
• Tinubu said the industrial breakthrough illustrates how strategic diplomacy must translate into measurable economic gains for Nigerians and that such partnerships will help position the country as a competitive industrial and trading nation.
• He also commended BUA Group’s chairman, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, for his leadership and investments across Nigeria’s industrial base, which the President said strengthens the foundation for expanded global trade integration.
• By linking Nigerian industrial capacity with global logistics networks and foreign partners, experts say such agreements can bolster export-led industrialisation, enhance value chains, and attract further foreign direct investment under the Renewed Hope Agenda an overarching framework guiding economic and structural reforms.
• The developments also align with Nigeria’s broader strategic push to mobilise climate and industrial finance, co-host global investment forums such as Investopia Lagos, and expand trade relations with major global partners.