Africa’s small share of global trade threatens global stability – Yusuf Tuggar

Yusuf Tuggar has warned that Africa’s marginal share of global trade is incompatible with the continent’s population size and poses long-term risks to global stability.

Tuggar made the remarks on Wednesday at the 2026 annual conference of ambassadors in Spain, held under the theme “Good neighbourliness: Building bridges or building walls.”

He said Africa’s continued position as a supplier of raw materials while relying on imports of manufactured goods entrenches underdevelopment and intensifies economic pressure across the continent.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar said the effects of such imbalances do not stop at Africa’s borders but spill into other regions, including Europe.

“Africa and Europe occupy a single geopolitical space,” the minister said, describing their futures as closely linked by geography, history and economic interdependence.

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He urged European governments to focus on partnerships that promote industrialisation, value-chain development and fairer access to global markets for African economies, arguing that sustainable growth on the continent would deliver shared benefits.

Tuggar also cautioned against migration policies shaped by fear. While reaffirming Nigeria’s opposition to irregular migration, he warned that framing labour mobility primarily as a security issue and politicising anti-migrant sentiment had produced destabilising effects, particularly in the Sahel region.

He cited cooperation between Nigeria and Spain on migration management, police training and efforts to combat human trafficking and smuggling as examples of constructive engagement that could be expanded.

Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe is a writer and journalist who covers business, finance, technology, and the changing forces shaping Nigeria’s economy. He focuses on turning complex ideas into clear, compelling stories.

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