Nigeria and Rwanda are in early discussions to establish a flat rate cargo arrangement with RwandAir that would allow Nigerian businesses to ship goods across the continent at predictable and standardised rates; a development that emerged from a bilateral meeting between Presidents Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Paul Kagame.
“We are in the early stages of discussions with RwandAir on a practical flat rate arrangement that can help Nigerian businesses ship their goods more predictably across the continent,”President Tinubu said.
The proposal targets one of the most persistent obstacles to intra-African trade; the unpredictable cost and unreliable frequency of cargo connections between African cities, which routinely forces goods to travel through European hubs before reaching destinations a few thousand kilometres away. RwandAir is well placed to serve as that bridge.
Operating from Kigali, which Rwanda has deliberately built into a continental connectivity hub, the airline has grown into one of Africa’s more reliable carriers with a network spanning East, Central and West Africa.
Nigeria established a similar cargo corridor with Uganda Airways last year, making the RwandAir discussions a natural extension of that strategy.
They also agreed to activate pending Memoranda of Understanding in tourism, illicit drugs and anti-corruption, and to deepen cooperation on the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Tinubu added that Nigeria would seriously consider reciprocating Rwanda’s 30-day visa-free access for Nigerians.
Nigeria will host the AfCFTA Council of Ministers and Digital Trade Forum in June and the Intra-African Trade Fair and CANEX from November 5 to 11, 2026.
