Nigeria Urges Africa to Turn China’s Zero-Tariff Policy into Industrial Growth

Nigeria has urged African countries to maximise China’s zero-tariff policy by expanding local manufacturing, processing raw materials and building stronger regional value chains.

The Federal Government made the call at an international seminar in Abuja on “China’s Zero-Tariff Treatment for African Countries and Its Implications for Structural Economic Transformation of Africa.”

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, said the policy offered Africa a major opportunity to move beyond the export of raw commodities.

Ahmed said Nigeria’s priority was to attract investors capable of establishing industries, transferring technology, developing local skills and creating sustainable jobs.

He said in a statement by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, on Saturday that Nigeria was strategically positioned to lead Africa’s industrial drive because of its large market, entrepreneurial population, abundant resources and membership of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, said the zero-tariff policy, which took effect on May 1, 2026, covered 100 per cent of tariff lines for 53 African countries.

He disclosed that Nigeria-China trade rose to $18 billion in the first half of 2026, representing a 35 per cent increase compared with the same period last year.

Chinese imports from Nigeria also increased by 80 per cent to $2.3 billion, he added.

Yu identified local processing, improved product quality, reliable supply chains, stronger investment cooperation and support for Nigerian SMEs as key areas for maximising the policy.

He further announced China’s readiness to conclude an Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Development with Nigeria and support joint industrial parks, technology transfer and training.

The Director of the Centre for China Studies, Charles Onunaiju, described the zero-tariff arrangement as a starting point for Africa’s industrial transformation.

He called for stronger regional value chains through AfCFTA, stressing that African countries must address domestic production challenges to fully benefit from access to the Chinese market.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working with China, African countries and development partners to turn increased market access into manufacturing growth, investment, employment and sustainable prosperity.