AfCTA Implementation: Minister Advises Nigerian Entrepreneurs To Take Advantage Of Opportunity 

As discussions continued at Biashara Africa 2026 Summit on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, has urged Nigerian entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunity of the initiative.

The call was made in an address delivered by the Minister as the Incoming Chair of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers, in which she challenged African leaders and policymakers to move beyond commitments on paper and confront real barriers limiting intra-African trade and investment.

Dr. Oduwole commended President Faure Gnassingbé and the Government of Togo for taking decisive action that advances the spirit and objectives of the AfCFTA Agreement and reinforces Africa’s commitment to becoming a truly integrated market of over 1.4 billion people.

To support this transition from agreement to action, Dr Oduwole announced the AfCFTA Startup Acceleration Programme 2026, a flagship initiative under the AfCFTA–Korea Africa Foundation partnership, designed to support 30 high-potential African startups to scale beyond Africa and access global markets, especially Korea.

This programme, she said, presents a valuable opportunity for Nigerian startups operating in key sectors including fintech, e-commerce, logistics, agritech, manufacturing, and digital platforms to strengthen their business models, expand internationally, and position themselves for cross-border growth.

“The future of the AfCFTA will not be built by policy alone. It will be driven by enterprises, innovators, manufacturers, digital platforms, and entrepreneurs who are ready to trade,” she emphasised.

As Co-Champion of Digital Trade under the AfCFTA, Dr Oduwole, therefore, encouraged eligible Nigerian startups to apply and take advantage of the opportunity through the dedicated email as all application closes on May 24, 2026.

Dr. Oduwole noted that a significant milestone has been recorded for African economic integration – the announcement by the Government of Togo to remove visa requirements for African passport holders and investors travelling into the country for short stays, is another important signal that Africa was moving from aspiration to action.

LEADERSHIP reports that the Biashara Africa 2026 Summit serves as a premier platform uniting policymakers, business leaders, financial institutions, and trade enablers to accelerate the implementation of AfCFTA.