The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), in partnership with RwandAir, has 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 (AfCFTA).

The partnership expands the existing corridor by opening new export routes from Nigeria to Kigali, Rwanda; Lusaka, Zambia and Harare, Zimbabwe, while also providing Nigerian exporters with an additional carrier option on the Nairobi and Johannesburg routes.

Through this arrangement, cargo rates on the routes operated by RwandAir are set at under $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 $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 held in Lagos, FMITI Minister, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, described the partnership as another concrete demonstration of Nigeria’s commitment to making AfCFTA work for businesses.

She further 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.

Also speaking, Director, Cargo Services, RwandAir, Jean Bosco Gakwaya, said the partnership between the two would enable the airline to connect Nigerian manufacturers to key markets across East and Southern Africa using its wide network.

Gakwaya described the moment as pivotal for intra-African trade.

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.

Oduwole also acknowledged the collaboration of key partners and institutions and encouraged exporters, business associations, logistics operators and MSMEs to take advantage of the corridor to scale Nigerian products across African markets.

“Businesses seeking to use the corridor should 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,” she said. (Guardian)