Xi Jinping, president of China announced that he will eliminate tariffs on imports from Nigeria and nearly all African nations beginning May 1, state media reported on Saturday.

Speaking as African leaders convened in Ethiopia for the African Union’s annual summit, Xi said the zero-tariff policy “will undoubtedly provide new opportunities for African development.”

The move is seen as a bid to strengthen China’s already deep economic ties with the continent. It already grants tariff-free access to imports from 33 African countries, but last year Jinping pledged to extend that policy to all 53 African nations with which it maintains diplomatic relations.

The new framework covers all countries except Eswatini, which recognises Taiwan rather than Beijing. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring it under its control.

China is already Nigeria’s largest overall trading partner, with total trade volume exceeding N17 trillion in 2024, driven heavily by imports of machinery and manufactured goods.

The announcement comes as Nigeria and a number of other African governments have been actively diversifying their trade relationships following the sweeping tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump last year. Nigeria was hit with a 15 percent tariff wall that spurred a need to make “new friends,” as the trade minister put it.

The tariffs have also cast a shadow over Nigeria’s access to the American market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Though Trump extended the programme by one year through December 2026, the short-term reprieve has done little to settle nerves, and Nigerian exporters remain uncertain about what comes after. US-Africa trade deal

Meanwhile, Nigeria has been moving to build alternative trade alliances. In January 2026, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), removing tariffs on over 7,300 Nigerian products and granting duty-free access for agricultural and manufactured goods. (BusinessDay)

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