Tinubu back home after Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

…Seals UAE trade deal, $30bn Green Finance push

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Bola Tinubu returned to Nigeria on Saturday after leading a high-powered delegation to the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW2026), where the country inked a landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Tinubu left the country on December 28, 2025, first to Europe before proceeding to Abu Dhabi for the meeting. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the developments in a statement.

On the sidelines of the summit, Nigeria signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The agreement aims to deepen economic cooperation, boost bilateral trade and investment, enhance technology transfer, and expand collaboration across key sectors, including energy, infrastructure, agriculture, mining, and renewable energy.

In his address, President Tinubu announced that a joint Nigeria-United Arab Emirates (UAE) INVESTOPIA would be held in Lagos in February. He also told the Summit that Nigeria aims to mobilise up to $30 billion annually in climate and green industrial finance as it accelerates energy transition reforms and expands nationwide electricity access.