NBCC: Nigeria, UK Trade Corridors are Lifelines of Shared Prosperity, Innovation, Economic Resilience

Dike Onwuamaeze

The President of Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) Mr. Abimbola Olashore, has declared that the trade corridors between Nigeria and The United Kingdom (UK) are the lifelines of shared prosperity, innovation, and economic resilience.

Olashore declared this recently at NBCC April Breakfast Meeting with the theme: “UK-Nigeria Trade Corridors: Enhancing Bilateral Trade Flow, Connectivity and Investment Mobility.”

He said: “This theme sits at the very heart of our mission.

“In an increasingly interconnected global economy, the corridors between our two nations represent more than just routes of commerce; they are the lifelines of shared prosperity, innovation, and economic resilience.

“Our objective today is to explore how we can further streamline these pathways; improving the ease of moving goods, services, and capital.

“As a chamber, we recognise that to truly ‘enhance’ these corridors, we must address the infrastructure of connectivity and the fluidity of investment mobility.

“We are here to move beyond dialogue and toward actionable frameworks that strengthen the bridge between Nigerian enterprise and British markets.”

Speaking in the same vein, the Chairman of the Export Committee of the NBCC, Fortune Odu, said that the strength of Nigeria and The UK trade corridors would define their resilience in an era that is marked by global economic realignment.

“We are here to discuss more than just the exchange of goods; we are here to address the infrastructure of our partnership, improving connectivity, removing barriers to investment mobility, and ensuring that the corridor between our two great nations remains a catalyst for sustainable growth,” Odu said.

We are privileged to have with us a formidable

In his keynote address, the Managing Director and CEO of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, who was represented by Director of Cargo Development and Services, Mr. Olalekan Thomas, said that Nigeria “lacks a system that moves Nigerian exports from farm to foreign markets with the speed, quality, scale, and reliability that international buyers demand.”

Thomas said that “every night, cargo aircraft departs from London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol, and Dubai International, full.

“They arrive in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. They offload machinery parts, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods worth billions.

“And then, too often, they depart back to Europe, half empty.

“This is not just an airline problem. It is a Nigerian paradox. We have the demand, the products, and the trade agreements.

“What we lack is a system that moves Nigerian exports from farm to foreign market with the speed, quality, scale, and reliability that international buyers demand.”

He also gave an honest assessment of “where we stand, what FAAN is doing, and how the Nigeria-UK corridor can become the most efficient trade artery between Africa and Europe.”
Speaking on “Improving Export Facilitation Through the Aviation Corridors – A Focus on Nigeria-UK Trade,” Thomas said that in July 2025, the UK announced that over 3,000 Nigerian products-cocoa, cashew, textiles, and more could enter the UK duty-free or at reduced tariffs under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).

With this, “The UK has opened its market. The question is whether Nigeria is ready to sell, consistently, competitively, and at scale.