Nigeria Eyes Export Boom as UK Trade Rises to £8.1bn — FAAN
Oru Leonard
Nigeria is positioning for a major export surge to the United Kingdom, as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) highlights growing trade volumes and expanding opportunities within the aviation and cargo sector.
The outlook was presented at a forum organised by the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce, where FAAN’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku—represented by the Director of Cargo Development and Services, Mr. Lekan Thomas—outlined strategic developments driving the Nigeria-UK trade corridor.
Thomas disclosed that bilateral trade between both countries has reached £8.1 billion, marking an 11.4 per cent year-on-year increase. He added that UK imports from Nigeria stood at £2.4 billion, noting that even incremental export growth of one to five per cent could generate between $25 million and $125 million in additional revenue.
He identified the United Kingdom’s policy of granting duty-free or reduced tariffs on over 3,000 Nigerian products as a critical enabler for exporters, especially in agriculture, manufacturing, and emerging industries.
Highlighting policy alignment, Thomas credited ongoing aviation sector reforms backed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, with improving investor confidence and strengthening bilateral cooperation.
According to him, FAAN is ramping up efforts to modernise airport infrastructure, deploy digital cargo solutions, and introduce incentives aimed at attracting more cargo airlines into the Nigerian market.
He stressed that these initiatives are central to Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a leading air cargo hub in Africa and capturing a greater share of global freight traffic.
“With the right systems and sustained policy support, Nigeria can significantly scale its exports, deepen economic ties with the UK, and establish itself as a major logistics gateway on the continent,” Thomas said.
