The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), in partnership with RwandAir, has launched an expanded Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor to strengthen regional trade and accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The expanded corridor opens new export routes from Nigeria to Kigali (Rwanda), Lusaka (Zambia) and Harare (Zimbabwe), while also providing exporters with additional cargo options to Nairobi and Johannesburg, improving access to key African markets.
Under the initiative, cargo rates on RwandAir-operated routes have been reduced to less than $2 per kilogram across the five destinations, significantly lowering export costs for Nigerian businesses.
The discounted rates are available to exporters holding an AfCFTA Certificate of Origin issued by the Nigeria Customs Service.
Before the launch, exporters paid between $3 and $10 per kilogram to ship goods to East and Southern Africa, making it difficult for many businesses to compete in regional markets.
Officials said the expanded air cargo corridor is designed to provide faster, cheaper and more reliable logistics, helping Nigerian exporters grow their presence across the continent.
Speaking at the launch in Lagos, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, described the initiative as a major step towards ensuring the AfCFTA delivers real benefits for Nigerian businesses.
She said the corridor would especially benefit exporters in agribusiness, fashion and textiles, cosmetics, processed foods, light manufacturing and other Made-in-Nigeria products, while supporting the country’s industrialisation and export diversification agenda.
RwandAir’s Director of Cargo Services, Jean Bosco Gakwaya, said the partnership would connect Nigerian producers to major markets across East and Southern Africa through the airline’s regional network, describing the initiative as a significant boost for intra-African trade.
The latest expansion builds on the original Nigeria–East and Southern Africa Air Cargo Corridor, launched in 2025 with Uganda Airlines, which opened export routes to Entebbe, Nairobi and Johannesburg.
Dr. Oduwole urged exporters, MSMEs, logistics operators and trade associations to take advantage of the new corridor to expand Nigerian products across Africa. She also advised businesses to work with licensed freight forwarders or contact the RwandAir cargo desk at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, for information on cargo rates and export procedures.
