Nigeria Trade Minister Oduwole Urges Faster AfCFTA Implementation Across Africa

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr Jumoke Oduwole called on Nigerian states and African member states to speed up implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Speaking at the AfCFTA Council of Ministers meeting in Abuja, she urged that commitments be turned into concrete actions to create jobs, boost industrialisation and develop digital trade, including investment in digital public infrastructure, interoperable payment systems and electronic cargo documentation.

Oduwole highlighted the need for stronger capacity building, noting that the federal government has launched nationwide sensitisation tours, a coordination office and a national implementation strategy. She also stressed the importance of supporting women‑led businesses, youth and MSMEs through the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund and targeted financing.

Parallel calls came from NEPAD Nigeria, which urged entrepreneurs and policymakers to build institutional and human‑resource capacity for AfCFTA, and from UNDP and Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman‑Ibrahim, who emphasized placing women at the centre of the continent’s trade integration. The Private Sector Foundation of Lesotho warned that its slow uptake of AfCFTA could deepen economic vulnerabilities, especially after recent U.S. tariff changes affecting its textile sector.

Overall, officials stressed that AfCFTA is a strategic engine for Africa’s economic transformation, requiring accelerated implementation, regulatory harmonisation, and inclusive policies to unlock the market of over 1.4 billion people.