Finance Minister, Wale Edun, forecasts that Arab–African trade could grow by over $37 billion in the next three years.

He highlighted agribusiness and industrial partnerships as key drivers of this expansion during the Agribusiness Matchmaking Forum in Abuja.

He called on stakeholders to shift their focus from exporting raw commodities to creating higher-value products.

“Partners should prioritise value addition rather than raw commodity exports,” he said.

Edun called for deeper Arab-African trade collaboration,arguing that shifting global dynamics make regional cooperation essential.

He pointed to Nigeria’s growing industrial base and upcoming Single Window reforms as key drivers to boost efficiency, attract investment, and fuel private-sector growth.

“This is a moment to turn opportunity into action,” Edun stated.

“By working together, we can build stronger value chains, create jobs and support prosperity across our regions.”

Nigeria’s trade surplus surged 44.3 per cent in Q2 2025, reaching N7.46 trillion—a sharp increase from the N5.17 trillion recorded in the first quarter.

The National Bureau of Statistics report revealed that the widened surplus stemmed from strong export growth,which climbed 10.5 per cent to N22.75 trillion, coupled with a marginal contraction in imports.

This combination provided a substantial boost to the country’s external account.