Tinubu Appoints Okala To Drive Nigeria’s AfCFTA Agenda, Boost Intra-African Trade

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mrs Patience Okala as the National Coordinator of Nigeria’s African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Coordination Office, with immediate effect.

The announcement was made in a statement issued yesterday via the State House, Abuja, Nigeria, X handle @asovilladigital.

Analysts say Nigeria continues to face significant hurdles in fully maximising the benefits of the AfCFTA, citing persistent infrastructural deficits, regulatory bottlenecks, and limited export capacity in non-oil sectors.

According to them, concerns have also been raised about weak coordination among government agencies, private-sector players, and trade institutions—a gap considered critical to the effective implementation of the agreement’s objectives. Consequently, the appointment of a dedicated National Coordinator is seen as a deliberate move to address these structural and institutional challenges and drive a more coherent national response to AfCFTA opportunities.

The new National Coordinator is expected to commence immediate engagement with key stakeholders across government, the private sector, and regional bodies to fast-track implementation. Priority areas are likely to include improving trade facilitation, boosting non-oil export capacity, and positioning Nigeria as a dominant player in Africa’s emerging single market.

Okala’s appointment signals a strategic push by the Federal Government to strengthen Nigeria’s leadership within the AfCFTA framework, accelerate economic integration, and unlock greater trade opportunities across the continent.

According to the statement, Mrs Okala is a seasoned trade and investment expert with extensive experience in international negotiations and economic policy. Prior to her appointment, she served as Director at the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), where she led Nigeria’s engagement on bilateral investment treaties and negotiations across platforms, including ICSID, UNCITRAL, AfCFTA, UNCTAD, IISD, and the OECD.

She previously served as Expert Adviser to the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra from 2023 to 2025, and as Special Adviser to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment. She played a key role in strengthening Nigeria’s AfCFTA institutional framework, including oversight of the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee, and supported Nigeria’s emergence as Co-Champion of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade.

In her new role, she will oversee the domestic implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement, coordinate national stakeholder engagement, and drive Nigeria’s strategic positioning within the continental trade framework.

The statement added that the appointment builds on the legacy of the late Mr Olusegun Awolowo, former head of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, and underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to deepening intra-African trade, expanding non-oil exports, and advancing economic diversification under the Renewed Hope Agenda.