The growth acceleration plan is positioned as a central pillar of Nigeria’s AfCFTA agenda for 2026, building on implementation milestones recorded in 2025 and aimed at enabling the country to better harness opportunities under the continent-wide free trade framework.
Implementation of the AfCFTA in Nigeria is being overseen by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment under the leadership of Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, with execution coordinated through the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee in collaboration with development partners across public and private sector institutions.
According to the strategy document, a major focus in 2026 will be mobilising AfCFTA-oriented production nationwide, particularly by preparing local businesses and MSMEs to participate competitively in regional value chains. To support this, the Ministry and the AfCFTA Coordination Committee will roll out a nationwide awareness and sensitization campaign aimed at deepening understanding of AfCFTA opportunities, rules and market access requirements.
The report noted that the Ministry will work closely with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and state governments to identify at least one export-ready product from each local government area for entry into the AfCFTA market, a move designed to broaden participation, strengthen grassroots production and spread the benefits of continental trade across communities.
Beyond boosting local production, the 2026 agenda places strong emphasis on creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment to support full implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement and its protocols. The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment is expected to lead regulatory alignment efforts to reduce trade barriers, streamline procedures and improve the ease of cross-border trade for Nigerian businesses.
The document also outlines plans to simplify AfCFTA rules and compliance requirements through targeted publications tailored to businesses, particularly MSMEs, while strengthening coordination and accountability among public sector agencies involved in trade facilitation. These measures are expected to reduce compliance costs and improve predictability for exporters.
On investment and industrial capacity, the strategy states that investment mobilization efforts will prioritize the rapid expansion of productive capacity in key sectors to position Nigeria as a leading innovation, production and distribution hub within the AfCFTA market. This approach is expected to create stronger linkages between large-scale investors and local suppliers, enabling MSMEs to integrate into regional and continental supply chains.
In addition, Nigeria plans to upgrade its trade data systems to better track AfCFTA trade flows, including detailed data on goods, services and participation by women- and youth-led enterprises. The country will also scale up global advocacy for AfCFTA implementation and host key continental trade engagements ahead of the Intra-African Trade Fair scheduled for 2027.
