The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, says Nigeria is steadily advancing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda through deeper participation in regional and continental trade systems.
Oduwole said this during the inaugural African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Public–Private–Press (P3) Summit, in Abuja on Monday.
The theme of the summit is “AfCFTA Simplified: Seizing Opportunities for Government and Business to Win Together.”
She said that the evolving global economic landscape of 2025 emphasised Nigeria’s growing reliance on diversification, industrial capacity and intra-African trade opportunities.
“One of the most ambitious economic integration projects in modern history, representing a market of 1.4 billion people and valued at 3.4 trillion dollars.
“Nigeria’s economic ambitions cannot be separated from active participation in this continental marketplace, Africa retains more value and creates more jobs when it trades within its borders,” the minister said.
Oduwole reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to positioning the country as a competitive player in the AfCFTA era.
According to the minister, key achievements recorded in 2025, includes hosting high-level AfCFTA engagements, inaugurating the CCC, advancing digital trade leadership, and granting tariff concessions for AfCFTA goods.
She said others include inaugurating an air cargo export corridor, publishing a market intelligence tool for exporters, and winning bids to host major continental trade events.
Oduwole said that the next phase required detailed, coordinated planning across all sectors, saying that government institutions would adopt a performance barometer to track responsibilities.
She further said that the private sector would define strategic pillars for Nigeria’s AfCFTA market vision, and the press would serve as a key partner for accurate, constructive public communication.
Oduwole said that there was the need to diversify Nigeria’s export basket, expand services exports, align regulations to attract investment, and build the technical capacity of Nigerian businesses to scale across Africa.
The Minister also unveiled two new Trade Intelligence Tools and the CCC National Action Plan Framework, describing them as critical instruments for guiding Nigeria’s participation in the AfCFTA.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, said there was need for coordinated structures, clarity of responsibilities and consistent commitment to national economic transformation.
Bagudu urged all stakeholders to deepen collaboration as Nigeria worked toward its AfCFTA goals.
The representatives of private sector, Mr Jani Ibrahim, represented by Mr Suleiman Audu, commended the organisers for bringing together public, private and media actors.
He reiterated the private sector’s commitment to strengthening regional value chains, boosting industrialisation and driving investments that supported continental integration.
Representing the Press, Director News of the NTA, Dr Halima Musa, commended the organisers for recognising the media as a central stakeholder in AfCFTA implementation.
She assured that the Nigerian media was ready to support the national agenda by delivering accurate, clear and development-oriented information to the public.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the the summit was Convened by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) in collaboration with the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee (CCC).
It was supported by Afreximbank and other stakeholders and the summit aimed at deepening national understanding of the AfCFTA and aligning critical sectors toward its effective implementation.
(NAN)
