• Promises more collaboration with African nations to unlock continent’s economic potential
•Declares National Single Window, Customs reforms powering hitch-free cross-border commerce
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that Nigeria would intensify collaboration with other African countries to expand intra-African trade, boost value addition across the continent.
According to him, Nigeria will also position Africa to compete more confidently in the global economy through digital commerce by sustaining reforms aimed at dismantling barriers to trade, modernising border processes and connecting African markets through technology as the future of commerce on the continent lies in digital integration.
The President, who made the disclosure yesterday, in a message posted on his verified X handle, @officialABAT, welcomed African policymakers, innovators, investors, entrepreneurs and private sector leaders to Lagos for the 2026 African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Forum.
Africa, Tinubu posited, has reached a decisive point where it must move beyond lofty declarations and begin translating continental agreements into tangible economic opportunities that improve the lives of its citizens.
He added: “This year’s Forum, themed ‘Digital Trade for a Connected African Market,’ comes at a defining moment. Africa must now move from aspiration to execution, and from agreements on paper to prosperity in the lives of our people.”
The President stressed that Nigeria was proud to serve as one of Africa’s AfCFTA Digital Trade Champions, noting that the country was matching that responsibility with concrete policy actions designed to accelerate trade and economic integration.
While identifying the National Single Window as a cornerstone of the administration’s trade facilitation agenda, he explained that the platform would create a faster, simpler and more transparent trading system by reducing delays, improving regulatory compliance, cutting transaction costs and supporting importers, exporters, manufacturers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Tinubu also highlighted the Nigeria Customs Service’s B’Odogwu platform, saying it was modernising customs administration through improved revenue assurance, faster cargo clearance and reduced friction at Nigeria’s borders.
According to him, the reforms form part of a broader digital public infrastructure programme encompassing digital identity, interoperable payment systems, data governance and digital platforms that enable Nigerian businesses to access both African and international markets.
He further stated that Nigeria, alongside Morocco and Kenya, was piloting the AfCFTA’s ADAPT framework to connect national trade systems across Africa, describing the initiative as a practical demonstration that the continent is shifting from policy commitments to real implementation.
“The AfCFTA gives Africa the market. Digital trade gives that market speed, scale and reach”.
Tinibu expressed confidence that Africa’s economic future would be driven by digital trade, saying Nigeria would continue working with other African nations to build a continent that trades more within itself, creates greater value from its resources and competes with confidence in the global marketplace.
