Africa’s most populous nation eyes bigger China market after securing zero-tariff seafood access

Seafood

Lagos – Nigeria has secured zero-tariff access for its seafood exports to China’s 1.4 billion-consumer market after signing a protocol governing the inspection and quarantine requirements for Nigerian wild aquatic products entering China.

The agreement, signed in Abuja on 13 August 2026, provides a formal framework for Nigerian seafood exporters to meet Chinese inspection and quarantine standards and is expected to boost exports, foreign exchange earnings and trade between the two countries.

Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Yu Dunhai and Dr Vincent Isegbe, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), signed the protocol on behalf of their respective countries.

The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria said Ambassador Yu described the agreement as “an important institutional arrangement for implementing China’s zero-tariff policy for African countries.”

He said the protocol would provide a clear basis for inspecting and quarantining Nigerian wild aquatic products exported to China, while helping to expand agricultural trade and support Nigeria’s fisheries sector.

“It will help further expand agricultural trade between China and Nigeria, promote the development of Nigeria’s fisheries sector and increase its foreign exchange earnings through exports,” Yu said.

The ambassador added that the agreement would “inject new impetus into the deepening of China-Nigeria economic and trade cooperation.”

Dr Isegbe said Nigeria welcomed China’s increased imports of its agricultural and aquatic products and was ready to work with Chinese authorities to implement the requirements.

“The Nigerian side stands ready to work with the Chinese side to properly implement the relevant inspection and quarantine requirements,” Isegbe said.

He added that the cooperation would help “facilitate the entry of more distinctive Nigerian agricultural products into the Chinese market” and ensure that the benefits of bilateral trade reached people in both countries.

The agreement, negotiated over nearly five years, is expected to create new opportunities for Nigerian seafood exporters and increase foreign exchange earnings. The government has urged local businesses to move quickly to take advantage of the Chinese market.

Trade between Nigeria and China reached $18 billion in the first half of 2026, compared with $28 billion for the whole of 2025, while Nigerian exports to China rose by 80% during the first six months of the year.

The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service will assist exporters in meeting China’s quality and safety requirements. Private exporters, including Atlantic Shrimpers, have already identified Chinese buyers and are preparing to begin shipments.

Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe has called for the “swift implementation” of the agreement, while a Punch report cited by Business Insider Africa said: “World aquatic products demand could double Nigeria’s exports to China if properly leveraged.”

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