- Says Nigeria, 36 Other African Countries Beneficiaries
By Abiola Olawale
The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to granting Nigeria duty-free access on 99% of its exports.
This announcement, made on June 20, 2025, signals the continuation of the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), designed to turbocharge economic growth for nations like Nigeria while fostering deeper bilateral cooperation.
According to a statement released on Friday by the British High Commission, Abuja, the DCTS, launched in June 2023, allows Nigeria and 36 other African countries to export over 3,000 products to the UK either duty-free or at significantly reduced tariffs.
Under this scheme, Nigerian exporters can ship goods ranging from agricultural products like cocoa and sesame to manufactured items such as textiles and processed foods without facing the burden of UK tariffs.
Beyond raw goods, the scheme also covers value-added products like cocoa butter and paste, palm oil, cashew nuts, and cotton clothing, offering Nigeria a pathway to diversify and move up the export value chain.
Speaking on the scheme, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery, described Nigeria as a key partner in the UK’s global trade ambitions.
He noted that Nigeria, as one of the UK’s most important partners in Africa, stands at the heart of the UK’s global trade ambitions.
He said: “We want to strengthen the trade ties between our two great nations and unlock the power of sustainable and transformative growth in Nigeria and across emerging economies.
“A major advantage of the scheme is the reduction or elimination of duty tariffs on products like cashew nuts, cocoa, cotton, plantain, tomatoes, prawns, and sesame. This isn’t just about access to the UK market — it’s about building a fairer, freer global trading system that drives economic growth and job creation.”
The New Diplomat reports that the DCTS is being implemented alongside the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP), which focuses on addressing structural challenges in Nigeria’s export ecosystem.
The partnership includes collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment (FMITI) to support Nigerian businesses in fully leveraging the scheme.
