President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after participating in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, where he observed 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 left Nigeria for Paris on Sunday, December 28, 2025, to conclude the remaining part of his annual leave.
He later travelled to Abu Dhabi for the annual summit, which took place from January 11 to 15.
In 2025, the President also attended the same summit in Abu Dhabi.
On the sidelines of the summit, Nigeria and the UAE signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
The agreement provides duty-free access for thousands of Nigerian products into the UAE market and is intended to strengthen economic cooperation, increase bilateral trade and investment, promote 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.
After the ceremony, Oduwole stated that the agreement would give Nigerian exporters a gateway to global markets.
She added that Nigerian businesses would be allowed 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 at the summit, President Tinubu stated that Nigeria aims to mobilise up to $30bn annually in climate and green industrial finance to accelerate energy transition reforms and expand electricity access across the country.
He revealed 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 will take place in Lagos in February.
The summit 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 hosted by the UAE to foster discussions on sustainability, climate action, and energy transition.
The 2026 edition, themed “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go,” highlighted the integration required for sustainable transitions across finance,
