Nigeria’s commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has reached a pivotal stage, with significant strides made towards ensuring AfCFTA Nigeria readiness for the vast continental market. The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) has outlined concrete steps and milestones, positioning Nigerian businesses to thrive under the preferential terms of this transformative agreement. This robust preparation underscores the nation’s strategic vision for economic integration and prosperity across Africa.
What is the AfCFTA agreement? The AfCFTA agreement is a landmark continental trade pact aiming to create a single market for goods and services across Africa, fostering economic integration and boosting intra-African trade through tariff reduction and removal of non-tariff barriers.
FMITI affirmed that Nigeria has meticulously fulfilled its core obligations under the AfCFTA agreement. This includes adherence to protocols on trade in goods and services, alongside pivotal advancements in digital trade, achieved through the gazetting of all relevant legal instruments. These foundational steps ensure a legally sound framework for engagement.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, highlighted the ministry’s proactive measures to equip Nigerian businesses for success within the AfCFTA market. This strategic positioning is designed to leverage the agreement’s potential, providing a fertile ground for growth and expansion for local enterprises.
How to benefit from AfCFTA in Nigeria? Nigerian businesses and products are now poised to receive better and preferential treatment within the AfCFTA market, opening new avenues for export and collaboration. FMITI has spearheaded numerous strategic initiatives specifically crafted to empower and prepare Nigerian businesses to fully capitalize on these opportunities, ensuring they are well-placed to compete and succeed.
The core rationale underpinning the AfCFTA is the compelling argument that Africa retains greater value when it fosters trade amongst its own nations. This implies that the continent’s overarching economic development ambitions are intrinsically linked to the successful realization of the AfCFTA market’s potential.
Nigeria has historically served as a champion of trade-led regional integration within Africa, being the birthplace of several anchor continental instruments that form the bedrock of the AfCFTA Agreement. These include the seminal Lagos Plan of Action from 1980 and the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community, widely known as the Abuja Treaty, signed in 1991.
The negotiations for the AfCFTA Agreement itself were successfully concluded in Nigeria in 2017, marking another significant contribution. Following this, Nigeria formally signed the AfCFTA Agreement in 2019 and subsequently ratified it in 2020, demonstrating its early commitment to the pan-African initiative.
In 2025, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through FMITI, significantly reinvigorated its efforts towards AfCFTA implementation. This renewed focus led Nigeria to several important ‘firsts’ on the continental stage. What is digital trade protocol AfCFTA? Nigeria was the first AfCFTA State Party to ratify the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade, showcasing its leadership in modernizing trade practices.
Furthermore, Nigeria became the first AfCFTA State Party to undertake a comprehensive review of AfCFTA implementation at the 5th-year mark, as mandated by Article 28 of the Agreement. This review, published in July 2025, provided an honest and objective self-reflection, identifying frictions, challenges, and successes that continue to inform key actions by FMITI and the AfCFTA CCC.
In November 2025, under the direction of the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, the AfCFTA CCC convened the AfCFTA Public Sector, Private Sector and Press (P3) Summit. This crucial event aimed to foster a common understanding of the AfCFTA Framework and its resultant implications and opportunities specifically for Nigeria.
The P3 Summit effectively kick-started a nationwide AfCFTA Sensitisation and Consultation Campaign. This extensive outreach effort is designed to formulate a robust national blueprint, ensuring that the AfCFTA framework is tailored and implemented in a manner that truly works for Nigeria, addressing local needs and maximizing benefits.
Other significant outcomes include the clear articulation of roles and responsibilities for AfCFTA implementation among constituent institutions of the AfCFTA CCC. Additionally, the Framework of the AfCFTA CCC National Action Plan has been publicly published, providing transparency and direction for stakeholders.
To ensure accountability and enable performance assessment of AfCFTA CCC constituent institutions, an AfCFTA Institutional Barometer has been meticulously developed. FMITI, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, is also working with state governments to identify at least one product from every local government area that can be developed for exporting to AfCFTA for beginners.
The core elements of a national AfCFTA market strategy 2026 have been outlined, with plans for further enhancement through deeper consultation with the private sector throughout 2026. This forward-looking approach solidifies Nigeria AfCFTA readiness 2026, ensuring continuous adaptation and optimization for the evolving continental trade landscape.
