The Federal Government has declared that the African Continental Free Trade Area has moved beyond negotiations and entered a critical implementation phase, urging Nigerian entrepreneurs and digital businesses to take the lead in driving cross-border trade across the continent.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, made the call during discussions at the Biashara Africa 2026 forum, where she challenged African leaders, policymakers, and businesses to dismantle long-standing barriers hindering intra-African trade and investment.
According to a statement issued on Thursday, the minister said Africa had spent years negotiating agreements and signing protocols, adding that the continent must now focus on practical implementation that delivers economic opportunities for businesses and citizens.
The minister, who spoke as the incoming Chair of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers, said recent policy actions across the continent showed that African countries were beginning to match political commitments with concrete reforms aimed at accelerating regional integration.
“As discussions continue at Biashara Africa 2026, one message remains clear: Africa has negotiated, signed, and agreed. Now, Africa must trade.
“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. This is another important signal that Africa is moving from aspiration to action,” Oduwole stated.
She commended the Government of Togo for removing visa requirements for African passport holders and investors travelling into the country for short stays, describing the decision as a major breakthrough for mobility, trade, and investment across Africa.
Oduwole said the move represented a significant milestone for African economic integration and demonstrated growing commitment among African governments to build a truly connected continental market.
She said, “This is another important signal that Africa is moving from aspiration to action.
“We commend His Excellency 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.”
The minister stressed that easing movement across African borders would help reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks that continue to discourage trade, investments, and business partnerships among African countries.
She warned that the success of AfCFTA would depend not only on government policies but also on the ability of African businesses, innovators, manufacturers, and startups to expand beyond domestic markets and build continental value chains.
“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 stated.
As part of efforts to deepen implementation of the continental trade agreement, Oduwole announced the launch of the AfCFTA Startup Acceleration Programme 2026 under the AfCFTA–Korea Africa Foundation partnership.
According to her, the initiative is designed to support 30 high-potential African startups seeking to scale beyond the continent and gain access to global markets, particularly South Korea.
She explained that the programme would provide African startups with opportunities to strengthen their business models, improve competitiveness, and position themselves for international expansion.
The minister noted that Nigerian startups operating in sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, logistics, agritech, manufacturing, and digital platforms stand to benefit significantly from the initiative.
She urged eligible Nigerian entrepreneurs to take advantage of the programme and position themselves at the forefront of Africa’s emerging digital trade ecosystem.
“To support this transition from agreement to action, Dr Oduwole announces 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 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.
“As Co-Champion of Digital Trade under the AfCFTA, we encourage eligible Nigerian startups to apply and take advantage of this opportunity,” she added.
The application deadline for the programme is May 24, 2026.
The AfCFTA, which officially commenced trading in January 2021, is regarded as one of the world’s largest free trade areas, bringing together 54 African countries into a single market aimed at boosting intra-African trade, industrialisation, and economic growth.
Experts have repeatedly argued that despite Africa’s huge population and economic potential, trade among African countries remains significantly low compared to other regions due to infrastructure deficits, visa restrictions, poor logistics networks, and regulatory bottlenecks.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy by GDP, is expected to play a central role in the implementation of the agreement because of its large consumer market, expanding digital economy, manufacturing base, and growing startup ecosystem.
Increased mobility across African borders, combined with digital trade reforms and support for startups, could help unlock new export opportunities for Nigerian businesses while reducing dependence on markets outside the continent.
