WorldStage— The Federal Government of Nigeria has opened its air cargo corridor through Rwanda to all exporters holding an African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Certificate of Origin, following the conclusion of a successful four-month pilot phase.
The announcement follows the successful completion of a four-month pilot phase designed to drastically lower shipping costs and enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian products across East and Southern Africa.
The expansion was formally declared by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, alongside the signing of a three-year operational roadmap with RwandAir during the Creative Africa Nexus WKND 2026 event.
The corridor enables freight transport from Lagos to Kigali, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Harare, and Lusaka at discounted rates of $1.20 to $1.90 per kilogramme—a 50% to 70% reduction compared to standard commercial rates of $3 to $10 per kilogramme.
Launched initially on June 19, 2026, the pilot phase saw roughly 20 shipments completed by nine pioneer exporters.
The framework grew out of April 2026 negotiations backed by the United Nations Development Programme and bilateral talks between Presidents Bola Tinubu and Paul Kagame.
Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Moses Rugema, praised the initiative for dismantling transit hurdles, while ministry officials announced plans to integrate Rwanda into upcoming AfCFTA capacity-building programs to support local MSMEs.
