Nigeria and China are set to deepen trade and economic cooperation through the 2025 edition of the China Commodities Expo-Nigeria, scheduled to hold from Wednesday, November 5, to Friday, November 7, 2025, in Lagos.
The annual trade fair, organised by the Trade Development Bureau of China’s Ministry of Commerce in partnership with Brightway International Exhibition, is supported by several Chinese provinces, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Nigeria, and the Nigerian federal and state governments. This year’s edition is expected to attract over 250 Chinese manufacturers and more than 5,000 business representatives from various sectors.
According to Muheez Ojulari, Chief Representative Officer of Brightway International Exhibition, the Expo has become an essential platform for promoting economic cooperation and direct engagement between Nigerian businesses and Chinese manufacturers. “This Expo matters because it gives Nigerian firms direct visibility before manufacturers who control global supply chains. It’s a chance to negotiate better terms, secure financing, and diversify our exports,” he explained.
The exhibition will showcase a wide range of products, including automobiles, motorcycles and spare parts; machine tools; food processing and packaging machinery; textiles, fashion and beauty products; construction materials; agricultural machinery; electrical and electronic products; medical equipment; home appliances; household goods; and power and renewable energy solutions.
Entry is free for all participants, and the organisers have provided dedicated B2B meeting rooms to support face-to-face discussions between Nigerian enterprises and Chinese manufacturers. This feature is expected to open up trade opportunities, facilitate market access, and connect businesses with potential investors and venture capitalists.
Support for the event has come from major Nigerian business groups and trade associations, including the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association, National Automotive and Technical Association, Motor Mechanics and Technicians Association of Nigeria, Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria, Building Materials Association of Nigeria, Sokoto Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria, National Association of Small Scale Industrialists, Ogun State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the National Coffee and Tea Association of Nigeria.
The Expo is targeted at importers, exporters, industry leaders, government officials, entrepreneurs, employees, and recent graduates. It offers opportunities to expand business networks, forge strategic partnerships with Chinese manufacturers, diversify product offerings, attract foreign direct investment, and support local enterprises in scaling operations. By doing so, it aims to enhance livelihoods, reduce poverty, and stimulate inclusive economic growth.
Since its debut in 2007, the China Commodities Expo has evolved into one of Nigeria’s largest trade events. The 2025 edition comes as bilateral trade between the two countries continues to rise. Data from Chinese customs show total trade reached $23.9 billion in 2022, comprising $22.3 billion in Chinese exports to Nigeria and $1.6 billion in imports from Nigeria. In the first three quarters of 2023, bilateral trade stood at $17.25 billion, with Chinese imports from Nigeria growing 22.5 percent year-on-year. Between January and July 2025 alone, trade reached $15.483 billion, a 34.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, cementing Nigeria’s position as China’s second-largest trading partner in Africa.
Beyond trade, the Expo seeks to attract foreign investment and venture capital, especially among Nigerian youths, to foster entrepreneurship, create jobs, and reduce poverty. China’s investment footprint in Nigeria continues to expand, with more than $1.5 billion already committed to the Lekki Free Trade Zone and Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone, projects that have created over 7,000 jobs.
Ojulari noted that the event plays a critical role in strengthening China-Africa economic ties, facilitating technology transfer, and enhancing bilateral cooperation. He added that it offers Nigerian businesses particularly MSMEs, the chance to assess investment opportunities, improve their visibility, and integrate into global supply chains.
Through trade, investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship support, the 2025 China Commodities Expo is expected to contribute significantly to economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction, while advancing mutually beneficial cooperation between Nigeria and China.
