Nigeria has expanded its African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) air cargo corridor through a partnership with RwandAir, opening new export routes to East and Southern Africa and reducing freight costs for eligible exporters seeking access to regional markets.
“Our goal is clear: to make it easier and cheaper for Nigerian businesses to trade across Africa,” said Jumoke Oduwole, minister of industry, trade and investment, on Friday during the launch of the expanded Nigeria-East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor in Lagos. “With RwandAir, we are widening that corridor, opening more routes, and giving our exporters more options to compete.”
The partnership introduces new export routes from Nigeria to Kigali, Rwanda; Lusaka, Zambia; and Harare, Zimbabwe, while also providing exporters with an additional carrier option on existing routes to Nairobi, Kenya, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
According to the ministry, cargo rates on RwandAir-operated routes will be set at below $2 per kilogram for exporters holding AfCFTA Certificates of Origin issued by the Nigeria Customs Service, a significant reduction from previous freight charges that ranged from $3 to as much as $10 per kilogram on some routes.
