By Seade CAESARIn 2026, the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) program is no longer just a trade-policy headline. Together, these moves are changing how African economies engage the Gulf, and how the UAE positions itself as a preferred partner for African trade and investment. They lower or remove tariffs, set clearer rules for services trade, improve investment protections, and create pathways for business mobility and cooperation. Nigeria: the 2026 signature that turns the program into “big-league” Africa policyThe most consequential Africa CEPA move in 2026 is the UAE-Nigeria CEPA, signed during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in mid-January 2026. It is a year where Africa is becoming a core theatre for the UAE’s trade diplomacy.