The federal government will deepen its participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA in 2026 by working with state governors to identify at least one exportable product in each of the country’s 774 local governments in 2026.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole while speaking on Nigeria’s AfCFTA Achievements Report 2025 under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.
She said the move is aimed at scaling production, boosting non-oil exports, and strengthening competitiveness across Africa, adding that Nigeria’s AfCFTA agenda for 2026 will build on implementation milestones recorded in 2025.
According to the Minister, the plan is designed to position the country to better exploit opportunities available under the continent-wide trade pact.
Operationalised through the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee CCC, the Ministry will collaborate with development partners across public and private sector institutions to mobilise production nationwide while also undertaking an awareness and sensitisation campaign.
“FMITI will work 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,” the report stated.
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, with the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment leading regulatory alignment efforts.
In addition, Nigeria plans to upgrade trade data systems to effectively track AfCFTA trade flows, including disaggregated data on goods, services, and participation by women and youth, while expanding global advocacy and hosting key continental trade events ahead of the Intra-African Trade Fair in 2027.
The report also outlines plans to demystify AfCFTA rules and compliance requirements through a series of targeted publications for businesses, alongside measures to strengthen institutional coordination and improve accountability among public sector agencies involved in trade facilitation.
On investment and industrial capacity, the document notes that: “Investment mobilisation efforts with foreign and domestic investors will prioritise the exponential increase of productive capacity in key sectors, to position Nigeria as the innovation, production and distribution hub of the AfCFTA market” in the coming trade cycle.
