The President’s return was confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after attending the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, where he witnessed the signing of a trade agreement between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aimed at strengthening economic ties between both countries.
The President’s return was confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, President Tinubu had earlier departed Nigeria for Paris on Sunday, December 28, 2025, to spend the remaining part of his annual leave before proceeding to Abu Dhabi for the global sustainability summit.
The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week took place from January 11 to 15, bringing together world leaders, policymakers, investors, and experts to discuss sustainable development, climate action, and economic transformation.
This was not President Tinubu’s first appearance at the summit, as he also attended the event in 2025, underscoring Nigeria’s continued engagement with global platforms focused on sustainability, energy transition, and economic cooperation.
On the sidelines of the 2026 summit, Nigeria and the UAE signed an Economic Partnership Agreement, a major development expected to significantly expand bilateral trade and investment flows.
The agreement grants duty-free access for thousands of Nigerian products into the UAE market, providing new opportunities for Nigerian exporters and manufacturers to access one of the Middle East’s largest and most strategic markets.
Beyond trade liberalisation, the agreement is designed to deepen economic cooperation between both countries, boost bilateral trade and investment, enhance technology transfer, and broaden collaboration across critical sectors.
These sectors include energy, infrastructure development, agriculture, mining, and renewable energy, areas considered vital to Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.
The agreement was signed on behalf of Nigeria by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, while the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, signed for the Emirates.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by President Tinubu and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, highlighting the high-level political commitment behind the partnership.
President Tinubu’s participation in the summit and the agreement signing comes amid ongoing efforts by his administration to attract foreign investment, expand non-oil exports, and reposition Nigeria as a competitive player in the global economy.
The UAE has emerged in recent years as one of Nigeria’s key economic partners, with growing interests in trade, aviation, energy, and infrastructure development.
With his return to Abuja, President Tinubu is reportedly expected to resume official functions.