Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, says that the Federal Government is intensifying efforts to promote freer movement across Africa to boost trade, investment and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation.
Dr Oduwole told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Friday in Abuja that trade cannot thrive where entrepreneurs and investors faced movement restrictions and that easier movement of people, goods and investments remained crucial to unlocking opportunities under the AfCFTA.
Speaking on outcome of the Biashara Afrika 2026 Forum held recently in Togo, the minister said that the government was committed to ensuring barriers hindering trade and business mobility across African markets were removed.
According to her, mobility remains critical to the success of the AfCFTA, and that Nigeria joined other African countries in reaffirming the commitment to free movement of people, services and investments.
The minister said that visa policies remained the responsibility of individual countries, but noted the growing support for business-friendly travel across Africa.
She commended Togolese leadership for committing to remove visa requirements for African travellers and described the move as aligning with AfCFTA’s vision of deepening regional integration and expanding intra-African trade.
She also praised Rwanda’s progressive visa policy, adding that it had strengthened business travel, tourism and regional investment.
Oduwole stated that Nigeria has continued engaging through the AfCFTA Secretariat, African Union and bilateral channels for simplified visa procedures.
She disclosed that the discussions in Togo focused on visa-on-arrival arrangements and mutual recognition of business travel documentation.
According to her, several African countries have already introduced reforms easing market access for Nigerian business travellers.
Oduwole said that Nigeria was also addressing trade barriers through the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol and improved customs cooperation.
She said that digital trade facilitation, transport connectivity and better logistics would reduce business costs across African borders.
The minister said that Nigeria could not determine timelines for other countries, but expected continued progress as AfCFTA implementation advanced.
She said that freer movement would create opportunities for trade, investment, jobs and economic growth across Africa.
On economic impact, Oduwole said that easier travel would help businesses access markets, attract investment and expand exports.
According to the minister, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), women-led businesses and non-oil exporters will benefit significantly from improved regional market access.
She noted that Nigeria has inaugurated the Nigeria-Uganda Air Cargo Corridor with Uganda Airlines to improve exports to East Africa.
She explained that the initiative reduced cargo costs and improved access for exporters, particularly SMEs and women-owned businesses.
Oduwole further said that Nigeria was expanding similar trade facilitation partnerships with RwandAir to improve regional connectivity.
She said that the partnerships demonstrated practical efforts to lower logistics costs beyond policy discussions.
On intra-African trade barriers, the minister identified non-tariff barriers, fragmented regulations and high logistics costs as major challenges.
She also listed cross-border payment difficulties, business mobility restrictions and regulatory uncertainty for digital firms as challenges that need to be addressed.
The minister said that Nigeria had gazetted its Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions (PSTCs) to accelerate AfCFTA implementation.
She said that the government also established dedicated air cargo corridors thereby reducing freight costs by between 50 and 75 per cent.
Oduwole said that Nigeria was implementing the National Single Window to simplify domestic trade processing, adding that the government had mapped over 200 digital service firms across 17 sectors to strengthen regional digital trade.
The minister assured that Nigeria remains focused on reducing trade costs, improving market access and ensuring businesses benefit fully from the AfCFTA preferences.
GIK/APA