By Ahmed Ahmed
Nigeria has taken decisive steps to position itself for trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), following key achievements in trade facilitation, digital integration, and regulatory compliance, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) has said.
In its publication, ‘Nigeria AfCFTA Achievements Report 2025,’ the ministry highlighted that the country has fulfilled critical obligations under the AfCFTA Agreement, including protocols on trade in goods, services, and digital commerce, with relevant legal instruments officially gazetted.
Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said these measures were aimed at equipping Nigerian businesses to compete effectively and benefit from preferential treatment in the AfCFTA market. “The ministry has taken concrete steps to position and equip Nigerian businesses to succeed in the AfCFTA market,” she said.
The report described AfCFTA as the culmination of Africa’s trade-led integration ambitions, offering a framework for tariff elimination, barrier removal, and regulatory cooperation that allows African producers, investors, and traders to convert effort into prosperity. It stressed that Africa retains more value when it trades with itself, making the continent’s development closely tied to the success of the AfCFTA.
Nigeria has been a long-standing champion of African economic integration, hosting the negotiations that led to the AfCFTA Agreement in 2017 and ratifying the agreement in 2020. The country has also played a pivotal role in establishing foundational instruments such as the Lagos Plan of Action (1980) and the Abuja Treaty (1991).
FMITI said that 2025 marked several significant “firsts” for Nigeria under AfCFTA, including being the first State Party to undertake a five-year review of AfCFTA implementation, ratifying the Protocol on Digital Trade, and establishing a dedicated air cargo exports corridor to facilitate intra-African trade.
In July 2025, Nigeria concluded and published the mandated five-year review of AfCFTA implementation, which assessed successes, challenges, and areas of friction. This review has informed actionable strategies by FMITI and the AfCFTA Committee of the Continental Coordinating Committee (CCC).
In November 2025, FMITI convened the AfCFTA Public Sector, Private Sector and Press (P3) Summit to strengthen understanding of the AfCFTA framework, create awareness of its opportunities, and kick-start a nationwide sensitisation campaign. This campaign is designed to formulate a national blueprint to ensure that AfCFTA delivers tangible benefits for Nigerian businesses.
Other milestones highlighted in the report include the clear articulation of roles for AfCFTA CCC constituent institutions, the publication of the National Action Plan framework, and the development of an AfCFTA Institutional Barometer to track performance and ensure accountability.
Looking ahead, FMITI, in collaboration with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, plans to work with state governments to identify at least one exportable product from every local government area to the AfCFTA market. The ministry also intends to refine the national AfCFTA market strategy through deeper engagement with the private sector throughout 2026.
