The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to deepen its participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in 2026. The government aims to achieve this by working with state governors to identify at least one exportable product in each of the country’s 774 local governments. This move is geared towards scaling production, boosting non-oil exports, and strengthening competitiveness across Africa.
According to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Nigeria’s AfCFTA Agenda in 2026 will build on implementation milestones recorded in 2025. The plan aims to position the country to better exploit opportunities under the continent-wide trade pact. The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment will collaborate with development partners across public and private sector institutions to mobilize production nationwide, while also undertaking an awareness and sensitization campaign.
The AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee (CCC) will operationalize this plan, with the Ministry working with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and State Governments to identify a minimum of one product that each Local Government Area can export into the AfCFTA market. Beyond local production, the 2026 agenda places a strong emphasis on creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment to support the full implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement and its protocols.
Nigeria also plans to upgrade trade data systems to effectively track AfCFTA trade flows, including disaggregated data on goods, services, and participation by women and youth. The country will expand global advocacy and host key continental trade events ahead of the Intra-African Trade Fair in 2027. Furthermore, the government will demystify AfCFTA rules and compliance requirements through targeted publications for businesses, alongside measures to strengthen institutional coordination and improve accountability among public sector agencies involved in trade facilitation.
In terms of investment and industrial capacity, the government will prioritize the exponential increase of productive capacity in key sectors, positioning Nigeria as the innovation, production, and distribution hub of the AfCFTA market. With these plans in place, Nigeria is poised to strengthen its position in the AfCFTA and increase its non-oil exports, which will have a positive impact on the country’s economy. The successful implementation of these plans will depend on the effective collaboration between the government, private sector institutions, and development partners.
