Nigeria hosts AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum 2026, pledges concrete reforms to fast‑track continental trade
President Bola Tinubu
Abdullateef Fowewe
President Bola Tinubu has been welcomed African policymakers, innovators, investors, entrepreneurs and private‑sector leaders to Lagos on Wednesday as Nigeria hosts the AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum 2026.
The president in a statement shared on his social media handle said the summit must move the continent from aspiration to execution.
Speaking as Nigeria assumes a leading role among AfCFTA Digital Trade Champions, Tinubu emphasised that the forum’s theme, “Digital Trade for a Connected African Market,” arrives at “a defining moment” for the continent’s economic integration.
“Africa must now move from aspiration to execution, and from agreements on paper to prosperity in the lives of our people,” he said.
The president outlined a series of national reforms intended to turn policy into measurable trade gains.
He said Nigeria’s National Single Window (NSW) will deliver “a faster, simpler and more transparent trading system that will reduce delays, improve compliance, lower costs, and support our importers, exporters, manufacturers and MSMEs.”
He credited the platform with helping remove bureaucratic friction that has long slowed cross‑border commerce.
Tinubu also highlighted modernisation efforts at the Nigeria Customs Service, noting the B’Odogwu initiative is strengthening customs administration, enhancing revenue assurance, improving cargo clearance and “reducing friction at our borders.”
He framed these customs reforms as complementary to broader investments in digital public infrastructure, citing digital identity, interoperable payments and data governance as pillars that will enable Nigerian businesses to reach African and global markets.
Nigeria, together with Kenya and Morocco, is piloting the AfCFTA’s ADAPT framework to link national trade systems, the president said, arguing the pilots are evidence of a shift “from policy to practice in connecting our national trade systems across the continent.”
He noted the relationship between continental integration and technology succinctly, “The AfCFTA gives Africa the market. Digital trade gives that market speed, scale and reach.”
Concluding his address, Tinubu pledged continued cooperation with African partners to deepen intra‑African trade, create domestic value and boost global competitiveness.
“The future of African trade is digital, connected and full of promise,” he said.
