The United States and Nigeria have announced renewed efforts to deepen both countries' trade and investment relationship, with a strong focus on private sector–led growth.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on
Friday by the United States Embassy in Nigeria.
The announcement followed the U.S.-Nigeria Commercial and
Investment Partnership (CIP) Ministerial held in Lagos, co-chaired by the
Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S.
Department of Commerce, Bradley McKinney, and Nigeria’s Minister of Industry,
Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole.
The meeting forms part of ongoing high-level engagements
under the CIP, a five-year framework aimed at strengthening bilateral
commercial ties, expanding two-way trade and investment, and promoting
sustainable, private sector–driven economic growth.
During the ministerial, both governments convened an
interagency delegation of trade financing, promotion, and project development
experts to assess priority reforms proposed by the CIP Working Groups on
Agriculture, Digital Economy, and Infrastructure. The groups, made up of U.S.
and Nigerian private sector leaders, developed recommendations targeted at
improving the business environment and removing barriers to trade and
investment.
McKinney said the meeting highlighted significant progress
in the U.S.-Nigeria commercial relationship, noting that the working groups
had, over the past six months, developed “practical proposals to unlock trade
and deepen bilateral commercial engagement.”
In her remarks, Oduwole commended the strong partnership
between both countries and welcomed increased U.S. investment in Nigeria’s
priority sectors. She said Nigeria is focused on accelerating non-oil export
diversification and ensuring more Nigerian businesses gain competitive,
sustainable, and inclusive access to U.S. markets.
She added that since the launch of the CIP Working Groups in
June 2025, Nigeria has sustained momentum on business climate reforms,
strengthened competitiveness, and advanced policy alignment in trade,
investment, and industrial development, laying the foundation for a more
predictable and investable economy.
Senior U.S. officials at the meeting included U.S. Mission
Chargé d’Affaires Keith Heffern; Associate Administrator of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, Jason Hafemeister; and U.S.
Trade and Development Agency Regional Director for sub-Saharan Africa, Heather
Lanigan. Nigerian participants included the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry
of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Nura Rimi, and Director of
Investment, Gertrude Orji.
Under the CIP framework, both countries will continue
consultations across a broad range of trade and investment issues, explore
opportunities to expand trade in goods and services, and encourage increased
investment flows to drive growth and job creation.
Nigeria is currently the United States’ second-largest
trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade in goods and services valued at
nearly $13 billion in 2024. U.S. foreign direct investment in Nigeria reached
$7.9 billion in the same year, representing a 25.2 percent increase from 2023.
“This ministerial meeting underscores significant
advancements in the vital U.S.-Nigeria commercial and investment partnership,”
Deputy Assistant Secretary McKinney said. “Over the past six months, the
Agriculture, Digital Economy, and Infrastructure Working Groups have engaged
across government and industry and developed thoughtful, practical proposals to
unlock trade and deepen the bilateral commercial relationship between the
United States and Nigeria.”
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