FG: Nigeria Ready, Equipped for AfCFTA Market, Lists Milestones

James Emejo in Abuja

Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment (FMITI) said it had taken concrete steps to ensure Nigeria’s substantive readiness to trade within Africa under the preferential terms of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.

The ministry stated that the country had fulfilled key obligations under the agreement and protocols on trade in goods and services, as well as digital trade by gazetting the relevant legal instruments. It disclosed this in a publication, “Nigeria AfCFTA Achievements Report 2025.”

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said the ministry had taken concrete steps to position and equip Nigerian businesses to succeed in the AfCFTA market.

Oduwole said Nigerian businesses and products could benefit from better and preferential treatment in the AfCFTA market, adding that FMITI has undertaken strategic initiatives to position and equip Nigerian businesses to succeed in the market.

The report stated, “The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement is the apotheosis of Africa’s journey of trade-led economic integration. Through the progressive elimination of tariffs, removal of other barriers, and regulatory cooperation among AfCFTA State Parties, the continental trade agreement establishes an economic arrangement that ensures African producers, investors, traders and workers can profitably convert opportunity and effort to prosperity.

“The key argument for the AfCFTA is simply that Africa retains more value when she trades with herself. By implication, Africa’s economic development ambitions are inseparable from the ambition of the AfCFTA market.”

It said, “Nigeria is Africa’s champion of trade-led regional integration, the birthplace of a significant number of the anchor continental instruments that underpin the AfCFTA Agreement.

“These include the Lagos Plan of Action (1980) and the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community (1991), also known as the Abuja Treaty. It was also in Nigeria that the negotiations for the AfCFTA Agreement were concluded in 2017.”

The report said, “Nigeria signed the AfCFTA Agreement in 2019 and ratified it in 2020. In 2025, the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) reinvigorated implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement.

“FMITI led Nigeria to many important ‘firsts’ Nigeria is the first AfCFTA State Party to undertake a review of AfCFTA implementation at the 5th year mark, to ratify the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade, and to establish a dedicated AfCFTA air cargo exports corridor.

“In addition, FMITI has taken concrete steps to position and equip Nigerian businesses to succeed in the AfCFTA market.”

The report also presented renewed efforts and successes on AfCFTA implementation in 2025 that contributed to a thriving and prosperous one African market.

It pointed out, “In July 2025, Nigeria became the first AfCFTA State Party to conclude and publish a review of AfCFTA implementation at the 5th year mark, as mandated by Article 28 of the AfCFTA Agreement.

“This review is an honest and objective self-reflection to indicate frictions, challenges, and successes that has informed key actions by FMITI and the AfCFTA CCC.

“In November 2025, the AfCFTA CCC under the direction of the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment convened the AfCFTA Public Sector, Private Sector and Press (P3) Summit to foster a common understanding of the AfCFTA Framework and the resultant implications and opportunities for Nigeria.

“The summit kick-started a nationwide AfCFTA Sensitisation and Consultation Campaign that will formulate a national blueprint to ensure the AfCFTA works for Nigeria.”

The report listed other key outcomes to include that constituent institutions of AfCFTA CCC had clearly articulated their roles and responsibilities for AfCFTA implementation. It said the Framework of the AfCFTA CCC National Action Plan was also publicly published.

The report stated, “An AfCFTA Institutional Barometer has been developed to enable performance assessment and ensure accountability of AfCFTA CCC constituent institutions.

“FMITI, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, will work with state governments to ensure that every local government area indicates a minimum of one product that can be exported to the AfCFTA market.”

The report also said, “The core elements of a national AfCFTA market strategy are outlined, to be made more robust through deeper consultation with the private sector throughout 2026.”