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UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership – ministerial dialogue communiqué: 16 March 2026

Published 17 March 2026

On 16 March 2026, the United Kingdom Minister for Trade, Sir Chris Bryant MP, and the Nigerian Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole MFR, co‑chaired the inaugural ministerial dialogue of the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP).

The meeting brought together senior policymakers, technical experts, and private sector representatives to assess progress since the launch of the UK-Nigeria ETIP in February 2024 and to agree on priorities for strengthening bilateral economic co-operation.

Ministers reaffirmed the strategic importance of the ETIP as the central platform for deepening trade and investment relations between the United Kingdom and Nigeria. Both sides recognised the need for sustained high-level dialogue and close technical engagement to provide commercially meaningful outcomes that enable sustainable, inclusive, and innovative economic growth in both countries.

Review of progress under the ETIP

1. Ministers welcomed the significant progress achieved across ETIP priority sectors since its inception. They highlighted in particular the successful launch in March 2025 of the ETIP Creatives Working Group, co‑chaired by the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria, Florence Eshalomi MP, and Mr Obi Asika for the Government of Nigeria. The working group launch, hosted at the British Film Institute (BFI) in London, brought together important industry partners to advance creative economy co-operation.

2. Ministers further acknowledged the outcomes of the second ETIP business dialogue, held during the Trade Envoy’s visit to Nigeria in September 2025. They noted progress on issues raised during the first business dialogue, including National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) digital tools and World Health Organization (WHO) Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT) based good reliance practice that expedite market authorisation approvals for UK-based pharmaceutical firms and the approval of landing rights for Air Peace, a Nigerian airline at a UK airport.

3. Both sides welcomed the series of Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) roadshows and sensitisation workshops held in Kano and Lagos in October 2025, organised in partnership between the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded Propcom+ programme. The events engaged over 300 stakeholders and coincided with the formal establishment of the ETIP Economic Diversification Working Group.

4. Ministers recognised the contribution of the DBT Better Regulation Capacity Building Visit in early 2026, during which UK officials delivered workshops for Nigerian regulators on UK Better Regulation principles. They welcomed ongoing work to identify pilot opportunities arising from this engagement.

5. In the health sector, ministers welcomed the collaboration between the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Nigeria’s National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to institutionalise Health Technology Assessments (HTAs). They noted the planned inward NICE visit to Nigeria in March 2026.

6. Ministers further welcomed ongoing co-operation between the UK and Nigerian Financial Reporting Councils, including discussions on potential Audit Regulatory Equivalence and Mutual Recognition of Statutory Audit Qualifications, which they recognised as a model for wider regulatory co-operation.

7. Reviewing progress under the UK-Nigeria Standards Partnership Programme, ministers noted the continued work of the British Standards Institution (BSI) with the Nigeria National Quality Council (NQC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, supported by UK FCDO funding.

They commended the achievement of international accreditation recognition for the Nigerian National Accreditation System (NiNAS) in 2025, which enhances Nigeria’s global competitiveness in important agricultural value chains. Ministers specifically noted the following milestones achieved through collaboration between the BSI and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in the areas of standardisation and conformity assessment.

These include:

• the development of new standards and alignment with international standards
• standards landscape mapping
• strategic institutional advisory support

The collaboration also included capacity-building programmes for SON staff in metrology, marketing standards, and management systems, covering alignment with ISO/IEC 17025, ISO/IEC 17065, and ISO/IEC 27001 on information security management.

Priorities for the next phase of ETIP implementation

Investment

8․ Ministers reviewed recent bilateral investment developments and welcomed growing interest from UK and Nigerian companies in expanding commercial operations across priority sectors.

They discussed barriers affecting firms, including a UK agrifood processor exploring expansion in Nigeria, and agreed on the importance of enhancing regulatory clarity, improving investor support mechanisms, and advancing work on investment facilitation tools. Both sides noted ongoing co-operation on Nigeria’s Investment Portal ambitions and the potential for a future investment memorandum of understanding (MOU).

Regulatory diplomacy to grow services trade

9․ Ministers agreed that deeper regulatory co-operation remains essential to expanding services trade. They welcomed ongoing Audit Regulatory Equivalence and the Mutual Recognition of Statutory Audit Qualifications discussions and highlighted opportunities for the new UK-Nigeria Growth Programme to support capacity building for innovation, digital regulation, intellectual property protection, and regulatory coherence to improve competitiveness and promote export diversification across priority sectors.

Nigeria provided an update on its new Intellectual Property Policy and outlined implementation plans aimed at improving investor confidence and protecting creative sector practitioners.

DCTS collaboration

10․ Ministers reaffirmed the importance of the UK DCTS to Nigeria’s export diversification goals. While recognising the value of the scheme, they acknowledged several barriers limiting its utilisation, including:

• lack of exporter awareness
• certification costs
• product quality challenges
• logistics constraints
• sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures compliance requirements

They welcomed the progress made under the Export Diversification Working Group and the ongoing collaboration between the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme to develop export procedure handbooks for spices and beauty products.

World Trade Organization (WTO) 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) co-ordination

11․ Ministers highlighted priorities ahead of the WTO MC14.

12․ The UK highlighted that MC14 is an important moment to demonstrate the WTO can evolve to remain relevant and address both longstanding issues, like WTO reform, and deliver beneficial outcomes on emerging trade challenges, such as maintaining the e-commerce moratorium.

Announcements and sectoral milestones

13․ Ministers welcomed several commercially significant announcements demonstrating progress under the ETIP. These are set out in Annex A.

Closing remarks

14․ Ministers concluded by reaffirming their commitment to strengthening the UK-Nigeria ETIP. They emphasised the importance of continued working‑level engagement and private‑sector consultation to maintain momentum across all ETIP workstreams. Both sides agreed to continue dialogue ahead of the next ministerial meeting.

SIGNED

For the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment      
16 March 2026

For the United Kingdom

Minister for Trade, Department for Business and Trade
16 March 2026

Annex A: announcements and sectoral milestones

1. Regulatory approval for ‘Wise’

The leading UK fintech company, Wise, has received conditional regulatory approval to expand into Nigeria, enhancing digital finance co-operation.

2. Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) announce groundbreaking dairy production partnership with Asset Green Ltd

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Asset Green Ltd to explore the development of a large-scale integrated dairy production and processing platform aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s dairy value chain, from feed production through to milk processing.

The initiative seeks to address Nigeria’s significant dairy supply deficit, reduce reliance on imported milk powder, improve infant nutrition, and support job creation and long-term economic growth. It also reflects the growing momentum of UK-Nigeria collaboration in advancing sustainable development and food security.

This partnership represents the type of catalytic, platform-scale investment aligned with NSIA’s mandate and provides an opportunity to anchor one of the most consequential food security and nutrition assets Nigeria can develop over the coming decade.

3. Ovaltine launches £24 million manufacturing facility in Lagos

The major UK consumer goods company Ovaltine announce their new manufacturing facility in Lagos, its first production site in Africa, supporting local value addition and job creation. 

Ovaltine said:

Ovaltine launches £24 million manufacturing facility in Lagos, its first in Africa. Twinings Ovaltine Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of UK HQ’ed Associated British Foods plc, has created more than 100 direct jobs at its new Ovaltine facility, designed to service Nigeria and the African market.

4. Transnational education (TNE) announcements

The education sector will see transformative progress, with the following announcements, advancing TNE in line with recently endorsed UK-Nigeria TNE Guidelines and ongoing UK government collaboration with the Nigerian Universities Commission.

Quotes from the companies as follows.

Wellington College 

Wellington College International and Rendeavour have partnered to open Wellington College International Lagos at Alaro City, Nigeria. The state-of-the-art coeducational day and boarding school will open in September 2027, with the ambition of becoming the school of choice across West Africa catering for 1,500 students aged 3 to 18 from families based in Nigeria, West Africa and across the Nigerian diaspora.

University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham and the University of Lagos have signed a new memorandum of understanding to advance their long-standing partnership through the development of high-quality transnational education programmes in Nigeria. The University of Birmingham and the University of Lagos will work together to deliver high quality qualifications in priority fields such as applied artificial intelligence, digital communications and media, and global surgery.

The agreement formalises both institutions’ commitment to expanding access to globally recognised study pathways in country, strengthening academic co-operation, and supporting Nigeria’s drive to enhance its tertiary education system through strategic, equitable UK-Nigeria collaboration.

London School of Economics

LSE and Nile University of Nigeria launch new transnational education partnership 

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has launched a major new transnational education partnership with Nile University of Nigeria, marking an important step in LSE’s expanding engagement across Africa, a priority region in its global strategy.

University of West of England

The University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) has announced its intention to open a dedicated office in Lagos, marking a significant milestone in the university’s transnational education expansion and long-term strategic engagement in Nigeria.

EStars

A UK-owned educational esports and technology company that launched in Nigeria in 2024, has announced a landmark partnership with the Lagos State Government’s Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. Beginning in April 2026, the initiative will deliver educational esports programmes to an estimated 3 million students across Lagos State, equipping them with essential future-ready skills including digital literacy, numeracy, leadership, creativity, communication, and strategic thinking.

5. Polymateria partner with Hercules Manufacturing and Oando Clean Energy on biotransformation technology

Polymateria said: 

From its base at Imperial College London, sustainable plastic innovator Polymateria has signed a deal with a consortium in Nigeria led by Hercules Manufacturing and Oando Clean Energy that will see its biotransformation technology rolled out across the country to tackle plastic pollution from the most prevalent single-use plastic items including bags and water pouches.

The agreement will see Polymateria’s technology incorporated into at least 500,000 tonnes of plastic in Nigeria over the first 5 years. This is the equivalent of around 90 billion shopping bags.

6. British Airways celebrate 90 years in Nigeria

British Airways said:

For 90 years, British Airways has been honoured to connect the United Kingdom and Nigeria. Since the first service in 1936, the route has become an essential gateway for trade, tourism, education, and community connections. Nigeria remains one of our longest standing and most valued destinations.

We have a rich shared history, and as we celebrate this momentous milestone, our commitment to the region remains as strong as ever, offering Nigerian customers seamless access to the UK and further afield across Europe and North America. We look forward to commemorating this milestone and welcoming customers on board for many years to come.

7. New UK-Nigeria Growth Programme

The UK announced its up to £18 million UK-Nigeria Growth Programme, designed to strengthen ETIP delivery and support reforms to facilitate commercial outcomes through focused capacity building and technical assistance. 

8. UK Nigeria Advertising Summit collaboration

DBT will champion an upcoming UK-Nigeria Advertising Summit, further deepening creative economy engagement under the ETIP framework.