FG goes local with AfCFTA to boost MSME exports in Northwest

The federal government has shifted the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) from policy corridors to local economies, launching a nationwide push aimed at turning small businesses and informal traders into active exporters.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, is spearheading the new strategy, which prioritises subnational engagement and direct support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), with a focus on translating trade policy into measurable household income and job creation.

At a regional stakeholders’ engagement, Oduwole said the renewed phase of AfCFTA implementation is designed to “deliver prosperity that people can feel”, stressing that state governments are now central to unlocking Nigeria’s export potential.

She disclosed that consultations with governors across regions revealed a shared commitment to ensuring that trade opportunities under AfCFTA reach ordinary citizens, especially those operating within informal markets.

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Describing AfCFTA as a gateway to a $3.4 trillion market of over 1.4 billion people, the minister said Nigeria is repositioning its economy by strengthening value chains and formalising long-standing informal trade systems that have historically driven cross-border commerce.

Oduwole highlighted key policy strides already taken, including the gazetting of Nigeria’s tariff schedules, submission of implementation reports, and ratification of the digital trade protocol. She noted that a “whole-of-government and whole-of-economy” framework—bringing together public institutions, private sector players and the media—is guiding execution.

In a bid to tackle logistics challenges, the government has introduced an air cargo corridor connecting Abuja and Lagos to 13 African countries, cutting freight costs by up to 75 per cent. The initiative is already boosting demand for Nigerian goods such as garments and processed foods, including zobo, plantain chips and chin-chin.

Despite the progress, the minister acknowledged that many MSMEs still struggle with export requirements such as rules of origin, customs procedures and product standards.

To address this, the government has begun deploying mobile support teams to regions, offering on-the-spot services including business registration, certification and issuance of export documentation.

Officials are also conducting live demonstrations of export processes, with materials translated into local languages to ensure inclusivity and better understanding among grassroots entrepreneurs.

A key feature of the new approach is the “One Local Government, One Export Product” initiative, which encourages each local council to identify a competitive product and receive federal backing to scale production and access African markets.

Oduwole said the government is also considering a regional performance tracking system that would rank zones based on export activity, potentially spurring competition and accountability among states.

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Meanwhile, the Kano State Government has positioned itself as a strategic hub for AfCFTA implementation, pledging to align state policies with continental trade goals.

Representing Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, said Kano’s long history as a commercial centre places it at the forefront of intra-African trade revival.

“Kano has traded across Africa for centuries. AfCFTA only provides structure and scale to what our people have always done,” he said.

He announced plans to train 50,000 MSMEs over the next two years on export procedures, standards and rules of origin, while also improving infrastructure to support trade.

The state is investing in industrial zones, agro-processing and logistics networks, including rail and road links to key African markets. It is also seeking federal support to designate Kano as a regional aggregation and distribution hub under AfCFTA.

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Kano further called for technical assistance for small businesses, faster development of trade corridors linking North and Central Africa, and policies that ensure inclusion of informal traders and landlocked communities.

Stakeholders at the forum agreed that the success of AfCFTA would ultimately be measured not by policy milestones but by its impact on local markets, job creation and income growth.

With the new grassroots-focused strategy, the federal government is betting that empowering local producers and traders will be the catalyst needed to drive Nigeria’s competitiveness in continental trade.