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Nigeria has officially become the newest member of the Arab Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Program following the signing of the AATB Membership Agreement. The partnership was formalized during a ceremony in Abuja, held alongside the 5th AATB Board of Governors Meeting hosted by the Nigerian government.
The agreement was signed by Eng. Adeeb Y. Al Aama, CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and Secretary General of the AATB Program, together with H.E. Wale Edun, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Under this new cooperation framework, Nigeria will benefit from strategic support aimed at boosting trade competitiveness, diversifying exports, strengthening key value chains, and enhancing national capacity-building initiatives. Priority areas include trade promotion, modernization of agribusiness, development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), organization of business missions, improved trade facilitation, logistics enhancement, and preparing the country for broader digital trade integration.
During the Agribusiness Matchmaking Forum held ahead of the Board of Governors Meeting, Minister Wale Edun emphasized the urgent need for deeper trade ties between African and Arab regions. He highlighted the importance of shifting from raw commodity exports toward value-added production, noting that industrial partnerships and modern agribusiness are essential for sustainable regional growth.
Edun pointed out that forecasts indicate Arab-Africa trade could expand by over USD 37 billion within the next three years. He added that Nigeria’s expanding industrial sector and upcoming National Single Window reforms will play a key role in improving efficiency, attracting investment, and enabling private-sector growth.
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This is the time to transform opportunity into concrete action, stated Edun. Through collective effort, one can build stronger value chains, generate employment, and promote prosperity across both regions. As African and Arab nations deepen trade collaboration, the prospects for growth and development are immense.
