Nigerian Goods Competitive, AfCFTA Certificate Processing Now 24 Hours – Minister

The Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, has said that Nigerian goods continue to remain competitive and, in particular, high demand on the continent.

She said on a trade mission to Botswana with about 11 Nigerian businesses, one of them immediately got an order of 6,000 T-shirts to be supplied there.

The minister disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the 2026 Third Quarter meeting of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Central Coordination Committee (CCC).

She said, ” I think that a lot of Nigerians have the perception that Nigerian goods are not competitive on this continent. Nigerian entrepreneurs have shown that they can compete anywhere in the world, and are doing particularly well in the rest of Africa, and this is demonstrated by our non-oil exports, which have gone up exponentially, and it’s due to the exports of Nigerian goods across the African continent.”

The minister noted that the country opened an air cargo corridor with Uganda Air last year to facilitate its businesses, and added another airline this year.

“We went with things like prepacked jollof rice which was hugely popular in Botswana and shea butter.

“We did a survey of 13 eastern and southern African countries to see what was in demand there, and we saw that natural, black manufacturing, the shea butter products, the zobo drink were in demand, plantain chips were in demand, female apparel and the wigs that women wear were in demand.”

She said, ” I think that a lot of Nigerians have the perception that Nigerian goods are not competitive on this continent. Nigerian entrepreneurs have shown that they can compete anywhere in the world, and are doing particularly well in the rest of Africa, and this is demonstrated by our non-oil exports which have gone up exponentially, and it’s due to the exports of Nigerian goods across the African continent.”

Meanwhile, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office (NACO), Mrs Patience Okala, disclosed that Nigeria has resolved eight reported cases of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) affecting businesses trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while reducing the processing time for Certificates of Origin from more than five days to 24 hours.

Okala said the reduction in the processing time for Certificates of Origin had been achieved through the digitisation and automation of the process, covering registration, verification and certification by the Nigeria Customs Service.

According to her, the development would make it easier and faster for Nigerian businesses to access preferential treatment under the continental trade agreement.

She said NACO had also continued to work with relevant members of the CCC to tackle practical challenges confronting Nigerian businesses, including non-tariff barriers, access to finance, standards, logistics and inadequate market information.

“From our Q2 meeting till now, NACO has facilitated the resolution of eight reported cases of NTBs,” she said, adding that a detailed report on the cases would be presented during the meeting.

The NACO chief also said Nigeria’s leadership role in AfCFTA had received continental recognition, following a formal request by the AfCFTA Secretariat for the country to lead a peer-learning session on AfCFTA implementation for other African countries.

She explained that the session would take place during the next set of AfCFTA institutional meetings in Zimbabwe.

According to her, the recognition provides Nigeria with an opportunity to share its experience in coordinating AfCFTA implementation, expand market opportunities and strengthen continental linkages for Nigerian businesses.

Okala said the development could also contribute to job creation, particularly for Nigerian youths, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

She congratulated the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, on her election as Chairperson of the Bureau of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers at the 18th meeting of the Council hosted in Abuja.

She described the appointment as a demonstration of Nigeria’s leadership role in driving regional trade across Africa.

According to her, with Oduwole serving as Chair of the Bureau, Nigeria automatically assumes the chairmanship of all AfCFTA institutional committees, placing greater responsibility on the country to strengthen implementation and help shape the direction of continental trade.

Okala said effective coordination among ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as private-sector stakeholders, would be critical to achieving the country’s AfCFTA objectives, particularly in market access, trade facilitation and private-sector participation.

She also highlighted Nigeria’s hosting of the AfCFTA Week during the quarter, which included the HerAfCFTA event for women-owned and women-led businesses, the 18th meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers and its associated institutional meetings, and the second edition of the AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum in Lagos.

She said the events provided opportunities to advance women’s participation in trade, promote the benefits of the Digital Trade Protocol and strengthen trade and investment facilitation.

On access to finance, Okala said NACO had made progress in connecting eligible Nigerian businesses with opportunities under the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund established by the AfCFTA Secretariat and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

She said five Nigerian businesses had applied for the facility following initial engagements, with one female-led business progressing to the next stage with support from NACO.

The initiative, she noted, was aimed at helping Nigerian businesses access the minimum $10 million facility available for scaling up their operations, improving competitiveness and gaining greater access to African markets.

Okala further disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, in collaboration with NACO, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), had led Nigerian businesses on a Nigeria-Botswana AfCFTA Trade Mission.

The mission, she said, was already yielding results, including a contract secured by CSO Fashion Academy to supply 6,000 T-shirts to a Botswana business.

On the legal framework for implementation, Okala said significant progress had been made towards domesticating the AfCFTA Framework Agreement and its Protocols in Nigeria.

She said NACO had been working with the National Assembly and that a draft Bill was currently before the House Committee on Commerce for consideration.

She also disclosed that Nigeria had launched the Africa Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade (ADAPT) initiative to support implementation of the Digital Trade Protocol and strengthen the country’s digital trade ecosystem.

Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, Okala said NACO would prioritise simplifying the AfCFTA framework to enable more Nigerian businesses to understand and take advantage of opportunities available under the agreement.

She said the office would intensify engagement with key stakeholders and sectors, continue its sub-national engagement tour and organise webinars and peer-learning activities, while developing more simplified AfCFTA tools for businesses.

“Ultimately, we need to see more Nigerian businesses trading under AfCFTA, more Nigerian products entering African markets and stronger participation of Nigerian businesses in continental trade,” Okala said.

She stressed that the Central Coordination Committee had a critical role to play in transforming AfCFTA from a policy framework into tangible economic opportunities for Nigerians.