Uganda is set to send its first official shipment to Nigeria in the first quarter of 2025 under the aegis of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

The consignment to Nigeria, which includes coffee, tea, milk, fish, and pharmaceuticals will test market demand and lay the groundwork for deeper trade relations between both nations.

Uganda, landlocked in East Africa, is Africa’s second-largest coffee producer, with coffee accounting for about 17 percent of the country’s exports, according to latest trade data.

The country also produces at least 80,000 tons of tea annually and its lakes and rivers provide a rich source of fish and fish products for export, with an estimated export volume of approximately 50,000 metric tons, valued at $50 million.

Yoweri Museveni, the president of Uganda, who witnessed the signing of the agreement in December 2024, considered the agreement a driver of economic transformation across the African region.