Nigeria’s aquatic products have secured zero-tariff access to China’s market of about 1.4 billion consumers under a new protocol.

This is even as bilateral trade between both countries reaches $18 billion in the first half of 2026 (H1’26).

The development is expected to boost Nigerian exports and foreign exchange earnings, with Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, disclosing that Nigerian exports to China rose by 80 per cent in the first half of the year.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, who received the Ambassador during a courtesy visit and reception following the signing of the Nigeria-China Aquatic Products Protocol, urged Nigerian exporters and businesses to move swiftly to take advantage of the new market-access opportunity.

In a statement the ministry said the protocol was concluded after nearly five years of negotiations and grants eligible Nigerian aquatic products zero-tariff access to the Chinese market.

Welcoming the Chinese Ambassador, Tegbe expressed appreciation for his continued support for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership and efforts to deepen trade and business relations between both countries.

The Minister noted that bilateral trade had reached $18 billion in the first half of 2026, compared with $28 billion recorded for the whole of 2025.

He said implementation of the aquatic products protocol would further strengthen economic ties and help fast-track other initiatives, including the Zero Tariff Agreement for African countries.

Tegbe therefore urged Nigerian exporters and businesses to move quickly to take advantage of the new market-access opportunity. Ambassador Yu reaffirmed the Chinese Embassy’s commitment to supporting implementation of the protocol and facilitating the entry of qualified Nigerian aquatic products into the Chinese market.

He described Tegbe’s appointment as a testament to his leadership, vision and pragmatism, while citing a 35 per cent increase in bilateral trade and an 80 per cent rise in Nigerian exports in the first half of 2026 as evidence of the significant potential for further cooperation.

The Ambassador also assured the Minister of the Chinese government’s support for Nigeria’s efforts to modernise and expand its power system.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has declared that electricity remains the single most important driver of the State’s development agenda, stressing that the era of energy insecurity in the state is over.

Speaking at the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and Akwa Ibom State Strategic Roundtable held in Abuja, Governor Eno said Akwa Ibom is now pivoting from policy formulation to practical implementation and delivery of electricity solutions that will transform lives and power industries.

“We have moved from aspiration to legal and institutional foundation. Today, we pivot to implementation and delivery,” the Governor said.

He explained that the State has, within the past year, delivered the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Policy (2024), enacted the Electricity Law (2025), and established regulatory frameworks for the implementation of the new regime.

Governor Eno stressed that electricity is central to the ARISE Agenda, enabling agriculture, industry, schools, hospitals, digital hubs, women-led enterprises, and job creation across the State. He assured investors that his administration will provide land, expedite permits, ensure regulatory clarity, and facilitate financing to guarantee project success.

“Electricity is the key driver of our purpose to ensure that every Akwa Ibomite, in every corner of this State, can live with dignity and opportunity in the 21st century,” he said, urging RESCOs and private sector investors to move from ideas to concrete projects within 15–18 months.

The Governor added that Akwa Ibom will adopt approaches that will leverage the rich natural gas and small hydro resources in the State while creating room for renewable energy, to achieve a sustainable energy transition.

Deputy Governor, Dr. Akon Eyakenyi, in her welcome remarks, described the event as a “critical milestone” in the State’s journey to deliver universal electricity access, noting that off-grid deployment is vital to reaching unserved and underserved communities.

Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, REA, Aliyu Baba, commended Governor Eno’s commitment to rural development, stressing that the ARISE Agenda aligns with the national electrification initiative. He noted that REA will continue to partner with states to attract private sector investors and ensure affordable electricity for rural dwellers.

Commissioner for Power, Rt. Hon. Iniobong Robson Etebe, in his presentation on Renewable Energy Opportunities in the Akwa Ibom State Electricity Market, highlighted investment prospects in solar, hydro, and gas-to-power solutions. He assured that the government has created a conducive environment for investors to thrive, with policies designed to make projects viable and sustainable.

The roundtable also featured an overview of the REA Community Mapping Tool by the Technical Adviser of the Nigerian Electrification Program (NEP) and the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Akwa Ibom State Government and the REA to strengthen collaboration.

Governor Eno was accompanied to the roundtable by the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi; the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah; the Executive Assistant and Chief Delivery Advisor, Mr. Aniefiok Johnson; the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; as well as the Commissioners for Power, Finance, and Information, and the Special Adviser on Rural Development and Cooperatives.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has said hospitality facilities belonging to the state government would no longer be ran at a loss, under his administration.

Governor Eno gave the assurance while fielding questions from Government House Correspondents shortly after his inspection tour of the ongoing renovation of facilities at the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort.

The Governor who said the State has numerous hospitality facilities including; the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, the Four Points by Sheraton in Ikot Ekpene, the ongoing ARISE Resort, and facilities in Lagos and Abuja, insisted that they must be strategically managed as profit-making ventures.

“We can’t put so much money into facilities like this, and they keep reporting deficit because we want an international brand. We can be our own brand,” he stated.

To ensure that the State hospitality facilities are delivering efficiently and profitably, the Governor, who is a Fellow of the Nigerian Hotel and Catering Institute (NHCI), said government would put in place a strategic hospitality management group to properly develop a State brand.

“Five or six years ago, Ibom Air was not a brand, but today, it is a brand to reckon with. You can create your brand. Each and everyone of us has our identity. It is now left for us to develop our identity,” he said.

Governor Eno called on indigenous professional hoteliers both at home and in the diaspora to look inward and be part of the Akwa Ibom hospitality brand.

“There is no hotel in this country that you will not find an Akwa Ibom son or daughter at the hierarchy of management. So we call on them to return home and put that same energy in turning around our hotel facilities.”

The Governor emphasized that experienced indigenous hoteliers who have made their marks in the hospitality industry will be given a chance to showcase their proficiency in the running of the hotel.

Pastor Eno explained that he came to see the prototype rooms to ensure its readiness for usage come December as expected.

“Once we sort this out, I am told we should be able to deliver the first 40 rooms in October, so that we can start using it in December, preparatory for Christmas.”

He disclosed that the ongoing upgrade of facilities in the hotel will be done in phases to meet up its total overhaul.

Governor Eno further highlighted that the State has an amazing hospitality assets that require expertise in different areas including; front desk management, house keeping, engineering, reservation and audit to form a strong group that would develop the State’s operational manual in the sector.

“This is necessary and important so that if I am here in Uyo or in Abuja, we already know the standard and it would be the same. Uniforms, attitude, and the likes must be the same. It takes a lot of training and retraining to achieve that,” he said.

The Governor who took time to move round the facility, especially the areas of the undergoing renovation, was accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government Prince Enobong Uwah, members of the State Executive Council, Delivery Advisors, and others.