By VIVIAN EMONI

The Federal Government has secured reduced air cargo rates for Nigerian exporters through Rwanda to five African destinations to boost intra-African trade and improve market access.

Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, and Investment disclosed this at the Signing of Roadmap for the Nigeria East/Southern African Air Cargo Corridor with the Government of Rwanda, on Friday in Lagos.

The signing took place on the sidelines of the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND2026 holding in Lagos from Nov. 5 to Nov. 8, 2026 at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture & Creative Arts.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the four-day gathering convenes leading voices from film, music, fashion, sport, publishing, gastronomy and business to advance trade, investment and commercial opportunities across Africa’s creative economy.

Hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria and organised by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) the CANEXWKND 2026 has the theme “One People, United in Culture, Creating for the World.”

Nigeria and Rwanda also inaugurated the Trade Intelligence Portal to provide trade and investment data.

Oduwole said that the partnership would reduce logistics costs and strengthen Nigerian businesses’ access to African markets.

She noted that the signature was a three-year operational roadmap to promote trade, reduce cargo costs and strengthen economic cooperation under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

She said the three-year roadmap provided for both countries to jointly explore competitive cargo rates and address distribution challenges through government-to-government engagement.

“This will facilitate a cost-effective air cargo arrangement and enable Nigerian exporters to access markets in East and Southern Africa.

“The arrangement reduced cargo rates for Nigerian goods transported from Lagos to Kigali, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Harare and Lusaka.

“The effort will also enable exporters to transport goods at rates ranging from 1.20 dollars to 1.90 dollars per kilogram,” she said.

The rates were between 50 and 70 per cent cheaper than those offered by comparable commercial carriers,” she said.

The minister said Nigerian exporters previously paid between three and 10 dollars per kilogram to transport goods to other African markets.

According to her, the high transportation costs reduced the competitiveness of Nigerian products, discouraged exports and limited access to consumers across the continent.

She said the Federal Government facilitated negotiations with Rwanda in April 2026, with support from the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa.

Oduwole said President Bola Tinubu also held bilateral talks with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in May 2026 to deepen cooperation, including trade.

She said Rwanda Air demonstrated commitment to the partnership by offering significant cargo rate reductions for Nigerian exporters.

The minister disclosed that the first shipment under the arrangement was flagged off on June 19, 2026, involving nine exporters transporting goods to four destinations.

Following a four-month pilot phase, she announced that Nigerian exporters with AfCFTA certificates of origin could access the corridor.

She said the three-year roadmap provided for both countries to jointly explore competitive cargo rates and address distribution challenges through government-to-government engagement.

Oduwole said Nigeria would also explore including Rwanda in AfCFTA capacity-building programmes designed to strengthen the capacity of Nigerian exporters.

She disclosed that Nigeria’s non-oil exports reached a record 6.1 billion dollars in 2025, representing an 11.5 per cent increase over 2024.

The minister noted that the inauguration of portal, designed to provide trade and investment data, support evidence-based decisions and connect investors with business opportunities.

The Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Moses Rugema, said the partnership between the two countries has strengthened trade cooperation, with a new operational roadmap.

Rugema said the partnership aimed at improving cargo transportation and expanding access to African markets, adding that the agreement would build on RwandAir’s first cargo export flight from Lagos in June.

He said nearly 20 shipments of Nigerian goods had since reached markets in Kigali, Nairobi, Johannesburg and Lusaka.

Rugema said the partnership would provide Nigerian exporters access to RwandAir cargo rates from Lagos to Kigali, Nairobi, Harare, Lusaka and Johannesburg.

He said the rates, ranging from 1.20 dollars to 1.70 dollars per kilogramme, would make African markets more accessible and competitive, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.

He urged Nigerian exporters and businesses to engage with RwandAir and take advantage of the partnership, describing the agreement as a commitment to creating tangible trade opportunities across Africa. (NAN)