Nigeria’s trade relationship with China has recorded significant growth following the implementation of China’s zero-tariff policy for African countries, with bilateral trade expanding by more than 40 per cent monthly in May and June 2026.
The Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Yan Yuqing, disclosed this during a seminar in Lagos on China’s zero-tariff policy covering 100 per cent of tariff lines for African countries and its implications for economic transformation across the continent.
Yuqing said total bilateral trade between Nigeria and China reached $18 billion in the first half of 2026, representing a 35 per cent increase compared with the corresponding period in 2025.
She added that China’s imports from Nigeria rose by 80 per cent to $2.3 billion during the six-month period, with monthly growth exceeding 40 per cent in both May and June.
“Total bilateral trade reached US$18 billion in the first half of this year, up 35% year-on-year, while China’s imports from Nigeria surged 80% to US$2.3 billion, with monthly growth exceeding 40% in both May and June,” she said.
The zero-tariff policy, which took effect in May 2026, is aimed at expanding market access for African products in China and reducing the cost of exports to the Chinese market.
Yuqing described Nigeria as China’s largest project contracting market in Africa and its second-largest export market on the continent.
She also identified Nigeria as a key destination for Chinese investment and China’s second-largest trading partner in Africa.
According to her, Nigerian exporters have already begun recording financial benefits from the tariff concessions, citing a shipment of 23,000 tonnes of liquefied protein that resulted in about $300,000 in tax savings.
She said the policy would further expand opportunities for African exporters and accelerate the entry of African products into the Chinese market.
“At the same time, China will upgrade a range of supporting measures, including establishing green channels for African exports to China, opening commodity expansion and sales platforms, and promoting cross-border e-commerce,” she said.
“These efforts will further streamline information flows, reduce trade costs, enable precise matching of supply and demand, and fully unlock the policy dividends.”
The development comes as Nigeria seeks to diversify its economy and increase non-oil exports by strengthening domestic production, processing and access to international markets.
However, the benefits of the tariff-free arrangement will depend largely on Nigeria’s ability to produce goods that meet international standards and supply the Chinese market consistently.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, called for stronger regional integration among African countries to ensure that the benefits of China’s zero-tariff policy are broadly distributed across the continent.
Osaghae said the African Continental Free Trade Area provided a platform for African countries to work together, pool resources and develop regional supply chains capable of taking advantage of expanded access to the Chinese market.
“Within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area Framework, this is the way to go. We must pull together, and that’s a challenge for us as Africans,” he said.
He warned that without stronger regional cooperation, larger African economies such as Nigeria and South Africa could capture a disproportionate share of the benefits from the policy.
“I think that if we are going to be equitable in the benefits that would accrue from the zero tariff treatment, we must go regional,” Osaghae said.
“We must see how we can pull those resources and harness the markets. Infrastructural deficits can be overcome, and those deficits of trade facilitation that have made it impossible for very low and weak economies to benefit from this, so that we can overcome that.”
The latest figures underscore the growing importance of the China-Nigeria trade relationship, while also highlighting the opportunity for Nigeria to move beyond the export of raw commodities.
For the country to maximise the zero-tariff window, greater investment will be required in processing, logistics, quality control, certification and export infrastructure.
The policy could therefore provide a significant boost to Nigeria’s export ambitions if the country can convert increased market access into higher-value production and stronger participation in global supply chains.
