AD Ports Group Signs MoU With Nigeria On Ports, Logistics And Digital Trade Collaboration

AD Ports Group Managing Director and Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi has held talks with Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, leading to a new Memorandum of Understanding with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy covering ports, logistics, maritime services, and digital trade infrastructure across the country’s key coastal and inland trade corridors.

The MoU, signed by Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, and Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, creates a structured framework to study investments and development projects in Nigerian ports, logistics operations, economic and free zones, and digital trade platforms, reflecting Nigeria’s scale as Africa’s largest economy and an established maritime and commercial hub.

The agreement between AD Ports Group and the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is aligned with the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement recently concluded between the UAE and Nigeria, which is designed to support higher trade and investment flows by easing tariff burdens, removing selected barriers, and promoting closer collaboration between public entities and private companies in both markets.

Under the CEPA, tariff reductions and the removal of specific trade obstacles are expected to increase capital flows into sectors such as technology, agriculture, precious metals, and energy, while also improving supply chain reliability and helping small and medium-sized enterprises in both countries to access a wider range of international customers and partners.

Non-oil trade between the UAE and Nigeria reaches US$4.3 billion in 2024, which represents a 55.3 percent year-on-year rise compared with 2023, highlighting the pace at which the bilateral economic relationship is expanding and the importance of creating frameworks, such as this MoU, that support long-term, mutually beneficial commercial activity.

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Beyond trade policy measures, the AD Ports Group MoU is intended to identify practical projects that strengthen port productivity, improve logistics connectivity across Nigeria, and integrate digital trade solutions, while aligning with Nigeria’s Marine and Blue Economy priorities and supporting sustainable growth objectives across coastal communities and inland economic zones.

Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, said, "This MoU represents an important step in advancing Nigeria’s Marine and Blue economy agenda. By partnering with an internationally experienced group such as AD Ports Group, we aim to explore opportunities that can strengthen port efficiency, logistics connectivity, maritime services, and digital trade infrastructure, while supporting sustainable economic growth and positioning Nigeria as a leading maritime hub in Africa."

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director & Group CEO of AD Ports Group, said, "Nigeria is a cornerstone of Africa’s maritime and trade landscape, with significant potential across the ports and logistics sectors. This MoU reflects our shared ambition to explore long-term, sustainable development opportunities that support Nigeria’s economic growth, trade competitiveness, and job creation, in line with the directives of our wise leadership. AD Ports Group brings international expertise across integrated ports, logistics, maritime services, and digital trade solutions, and we look forward to working closely with our Nigerian partners as we assess areas of mutual interest."

AD Ports Group already has port, logistics, and maritime interests in several African states, including Egypt, Tanzania, Angola, and the Republic of the Congo, where activities support greater regional trade integration and long-term infrastructure development, giving the company experience that could be applied to new projects identified under the Nigerian cooperation framework.

According to BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, Nigeria’s real GDP growth is forecast to increase from 4.1% in 2025 to 4.3% in 2026, which would mark the fastest expansion in four years and place Nigeria among the quickest-growing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2026, strengthening the economic case for strategic port, logistics, and trade infrastructure investment.

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The combined impact of the CEPA between the UAE and Nigeria, AD Ports Group’s MoU with the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, and Nigeria’s projected growth path underlines a shared focus on expanding trade, improving maritime and logistics capabilities, and creating new opportunities across sectors that rely on efficient port access and resilient supply chains.

With inputs from WAM