Tinubu ends Abu Dhabi summit, back to Nigeria
While away, UAE signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu has arrived Abuja after attending the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, where he witnessed the signing of a trade agreement between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the President’s return in a statement released on Saturday.
The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu returns to Nigeria after Abu Dhabi trip.’
The President departed Nigeria for Paris on Sunday, December 28, 2025, for the remaining portion of his annual leave.
He then proceeded to Abu Dhabi for the annual summit, which ran from January 11 to 15.
In 2025, the President was also in Abu Dhabi for the same summit.
On the sidelines of the summit, Nigeria and the UAE signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
The agreement grants duty-free access for thousands of Nigerian products into the UAE market and aims to deepen economic cooperation, boost bilateral trade and investment, enhance technology transfer, and expand collaboration across key sectors, including energy, infrastructure, agriculture, mining, and renewable energy.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Jumoke Oduwole signed on behalf of Nigeria, while UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi signed for the Emirates. Both President Tinubu and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan witnessed the signing.
Speaking after the ceremony, Oduwole said the agreement would give Nigerian exporters a gateway to global markets.
She noted that Nigerian businesses would be able to open offices and subsidiaries in the UAE, while business owners could stay in the country for up to 90 days within a 12-month period.
In his address to the summit, President Tinubu announced that Nigeria aims to mobilise up to $30bn annually in climate and green industrial finance as part of efforts to accelerate energy transition reforms and expand electricity access nationwide.
He disclosed that Nigeria’s Climate Investment Platform would mobilise $500m for climate-resilient infrastructure, while the National Climate Change Fund is targeting a $2bn capitalisation.
The President also announced that a joint Nigeria-UAE Investopia summit would be held in Lagos in February.
The event is expected to bring together investors, innovators, policymakers, and business leaders to explore investment opportunities in Nigeria.
The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week is an annual global initiative convened by the UAE to promote discussions on sustainability, climate action, and energy transition.
The 2026 edition, themed “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go,” focused on the integration required for sustainable transitions across finance, technology, energy, and human capital.
