Nigeria is fast-tracking the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to unlock wider trade and investment opportunities for Nigerian businesses across the continent.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Hon. Jumoke Oduwole, during the Nigeria roadshow for the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025), held in Lagos.
The high-level event, organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the AfCFTA Secretariat, drew over 700 participants including government officials, investors, and business leaders.
Themed “Harnessing Regional and Continental Value Chains: Accelerating Africa’s Industrialisation and Global Competitiveness through AfCFTA,” the event highlighted strategies to promote intra-African trade, improve regional value chains, and enhance industrial growth.
Nigeria’s participation is part of a five-city IATF2025 roadshow series spanning Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg, Algiers, and Lagos, in preparation for the fourth edition of the biennial Intra-African Trade Fair, which will take place in Algiers, Algeria, from 4–10 September 2025, under the theme ‘Gateway to New Opportunities’.
Minister Oduwole emphasized that leveraging the AfCFTA framework is central to positioning Nigerian businesses for continental competitiveness, encouraging collaboration across manufacturing, agriculture, digital economy, and logistics sectors.
