Egypt, Nigeria explore investment opportunities in digital, healthcare sectors

Egypt’s Investment and Foreign Trade Minister Mohamed Farid Saleh said Egypt and Nigeria are stepping up talks to expand investment and trade ties across digital and healthcare sectors following bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the eighth AfCFTA ministerial meeting in Abuja. Trade between the two countries reached $223 million in 2025, with Egyptian exports to Nigeria totaling around $51 million in the first quarter of the year compared with imports worth $5 million, the minister reported.

"Nigeria is an important economic and investment partner for Egypt and a promising market for Egyptian companies and products," Mohamed Farid Saleh said, underlining Cairo’s intent to deepen cooperation with African partners and open new areas for investment and trade to support continental economic integration.

Meetings and main areas of cooperation

Saleh held separate meetings with Nigeria’s Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and Commissioner for Insurance Olusegun Ayo Omosehin. The discussions identified digital identity and electronic customer verification systems (e-KYC) as immediate areas for collaboration, with the Egyptian delegation presenting its experience in developing an advanced digital identity system described as "a successful model that could benefit African countries."

• Digital identity and e-KYC: Both sides agreed to hold technical meetings involving specialised Egyptian companies to explore joint projects in digital identity and broader digital transformation.
• Insurance and financial services: Talks with the head of the Nigerian National Insurance Commission focused on strengthening cooperation in insurance and financial services, aiming to build capacity and enable cross-border service provision.
• Healthcare and pharmaceuticals: The discussions covered partnership opportunities in healthcare, health insurance, the pharmaceutical industry and medical tourism, with a focus on facilitating the registration of Egyptian medicines in Nigeria.
• Investment missions and sovereign fund engagement: Plans include organising an Egyptian investment mission comprising pharmaceutical firms, private hospitals and medical insurance companies, and a possible visit by officials from Egypt's sovereign wealth fund to examine joint opportunities.

Context and specifics

The meetings emphasised practical steps: technical working groups, targeted missions, and mutual exchanges to support project implementation. Egyptian officials proposed transferring expertise and increasing the presence of Egyptian companies in Nigerian and wider African markets through coordinated follow-up actions. The planned technical meetings are intended to develop mechanisms for implementing joint cooperation projects, support the transfer of Egyptian expertise, and boost investment and trade flows.

Saleh presented Egyptian digital identity capabilities as a replicable model, signalling Cairo’s readiness to export not only goods but also digital services and regulatory know-how. On healthcare, stakeholders discussed easing regulatory pathways to accelerate registration of Egyptian medicines in Nigeria, an issue that could unlock faster market entry for Egyptian pharmaceutical exports.

Outlook

Both sides concluded the talks by agreeing to continue coordination and convene technical meetings to convert dialogue into tangible projects. If implemented, the package of measures—ranging from e-KYC deployments and digital transformation projects to healthcare investments and insurance cooperation—could expand bilateral trade beyond the $223 million recorded in 2025 and increase Egyptian commercial presence in Nigeria. Planned investment missions and sovereign fund engagement will be key to translating high-level commitments into funded projects and cross-border ventures.