The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, in partnership with RwandAir, has formally flagged off the expanded
Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor, a major step in Nigeria’s practical implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The RwandAir partnership expands the existing corridor by opening new exportroutes from Nigeria to Kigali, Rwanda; Lusaka, Zambia, and; Harare, Zimbabwe while also providing Nigerian exporters with an additional carrier option on the Nairobi, Kenya and Johannesburg, South Africa routes. Through this arrangement, cargo rates on the routes operated by RwandAir are set at under US$2 per kilogram across the five destinations, helping to reduce the cost of moving Nigerian goods into key African markets. These rates are available to Nigerian exporters holding an AfCFTA Certificate of Origin issued by the Nigeria Customs Service.

Before the establishment of the corridor, many Nigerian exporters faced cargo costs ranging from US$3 to as high as US$10 per kilogram for goods shipped to East and Southern Africa, limiting their competitiveness and constraining access to regional markets. The expanded corridor directly addresses this challenge by providing faster, more affordable and more predictable logistics options for Nigerian businesses.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Lagos, the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, MFR, described the partnership as another concrete demonstration of Nigeria’s commitment to making the AfCFTA work for businesses.

“Our goal is clear: to make it easier and cheaper for Nigerian businesses to trade across Africa. One year ago, we launched this corridor to solve a real problem for exporters — the high cost of moving goods into African markets. Today, with RwandAir, we are widening that corridor, opening more routes, and giving our exporters more options to compete. With eight businesses receiving AfCFTA Certificates of Origin today, we are also showing that this is not just about policy — it is about real businesses, real exports, and real market access. This is AfCFTA in action.”

The Minister noted that the corridor is expected to support exporters in high-growth sectors including agribusiness, fashion and textiles, cosmetics, processed foods, light manufacturing and other Made-in-Nigeria products, while contributing to Nigeria’s broader industrialisation and export diversification agenda.

According to Jean Bosco Gakwaya Director Cargo Services, RwandAir:

          “This partnership between RwandAir Cargo and Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment enables us to connect Nigerian manufacturers to key markets across East and Southern Africa using our RwandAir network. This is a pivotal moment for intra-African trade and for how we move goods across the continent. Our ability to efficiently connect businesses to markets across regions reinforces the role of air cargo in Africa's economic development."

The strategic partnership with RwandAir also reflects the growing commercial cooperation between Nigeria and Rwanda, following the bilateral engagement between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and President Paul Kagame on the
sidelines of the 13th Africa CEO Forum in Kigali in May 2026.

The Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor was first launched in 2025 through a partnership with Uganda Airlines, which opened access to Entebbe, Uganda; Nairobi, Kenya, and; Johannesburg, South Africa. With RwandAir now joining the corridor, Nigerian exporters have a wider network and stronger logistics support to reach more markets across the continent.

The Ministry also acknowledged the collaboration of key partners and 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, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, businessassociations, licensed freight forwarders, and the UNDP Regional Bureau for
Africa.

The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment encourages Nigerian exporters, business associations, logistics operators and MSMEs to take full advantage of the corridor to scale Nigerian products across African markets.

Nigerian businesses seeking to use the corridor may contact licensed freight forwarders or the RwandAir cargo desk at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, for guidance on rates and the completion of trade formalities.