Tinubu Unveils Nigeria–UAE CEPA at sustainability Summit

By Oluwakemi Kindness

President Bola Tinubu has announced that Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Speaking at 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the President described the agreement as a milestone that will usher in a new era of bilateral relations, particularly in renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, digital trade, logistics, aviation, and green industrial development.

“This historic and strategic milestone marks a new era in our bilateral relations,” President Tinubu said, adding that the agreement will unlock sustainable investments and create enduring opportunities for businesses and citizens of both countries.

Partnership with the UAE

President Tinubu said Nigeria’s partnership with the UAE is anchored on integrated, system-wide solutions that align energy, finance, technology, and human capital.

He noted that both countries share a commitment to advancing renewable energy, clean power investments, sustainable infrastructure, and innovative financing models.

The President welcomed sustained engagement with UAE sovereign investors, development partners, and private sector leaders to accelerate large-scale projects that reflect all-system sustainability goals.

Developmental Opportunity

Reframing the climate conversation, Tinubu stressed that sustainability should be seen not as a burden, but as a developmental and economic opportunity, especially for emerging economies.

“As an emerging economy in the global South, we understand the delicate balance between industrialization and decarburization so that one is not pursued at the expense of the other,” he said.

Tinubu noted that is committed to a just and inclusive energy transition that delivers energy access, economic growth, job creation, and social inclusion.

Climate Governance and Energy Reforms

The President highlighted recent regulatory reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s climate governance, including the adoption of the National Carbon Market Activation Policy (NCMAP) and the launch of the National Carbon Registry to improve transparency, measurement, reporting, and investor safeguards.

He also referenced the Electricity Act 2023, which enables decentralized and inclusive power delivery, expanding access to electricity for rural communities, off-grid health facilities, schools, markets, and underserved populations.

Green Finance and Investor Confidence

Tinubu outlined Nigeria’s expanding green finance architecture, revealing that the country has launched a Climate and Green Industrialization Investment Label targeting $25–$30 billion annually in climate finance.

Additional initiatives include a $500 million distributed renewable energy fund by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority and a $750 million World Bank Distributed Energy Resources programme, expected to deliver clean electricity to over 17.5 million Nigerians.

He also cited strong investor confidence in Nigeria’s green bonds, noting that the country’s sovereign green bond and Lagos State’s green bond were significantly oversubscribed.

Lithium Value Addition

President Tinubu drew attention to Nigeria’s lithium and rare mineral reserves, describing them as strategic assets for the global clean energy transition. However, he made it clear that Nigeria is prioritising local processing and value addition.

“We invite partnerships that assure not just extraction of minerals, but local processing and value addition, thus creating jobs and strengthening industrial capacity at home,” he said.

Call for Reform

The President also called for reforms in the global financial architecture, urging a shift away from restrictive sovereign guarantee requirements toward blended finance and first-loss capital mechanisms that enable private investment in green projects without overburdening national balance sheets.

Future Engagement

Tinubu announced that Nigeria will co-host Investopia in Lagos in February with the UAE, a global investment platform expected to bring together policymakers, investors, and innovators to convert opportunities into bankable projects.

The President assured investors that ongoing reforms are designed to make Nigeria an attractive and reliable investment destination.

“Nigeria is ready for business — easy in, easy out — but with value addition,” he said.