Africa has reached a point where declarations alone will not suffice, President Bola Tinubu told delegates gathered in Lagos this week for the 2026 African Continental Free Trade Area Digital Trade Forum, arguing that the continent must now convert years of agreements on paper into tangible gains for its people.
In a message posted to his verified X account welcoming policymakers, investors and business leaders to the forum, themed “Digital Trade for a Connected African Market,” Tinubu framed digital integration as the mechanism that will let that shift happen. The free trade area gives Africa a market, he said, but digital trade is what gives that market speed, scale and reach.
Nigeria’s own contribution centres on two platforms. The National Single Window, which Tinubu called a cornerstone of the country’s trade facilitation strategy, is designed to cut delays, tighten regulatory compliance, lower transaction costs and ease the path for exporters, importers, manufacturers and small businesses. The Nigeria Customs Service’s B’Odogwu platform complements it by modernising customs administration, speeding up cargo clearance and reducing friction at the border while improving revenue tracking. Both fit into a broader digital public infrastructure programme spanning digital identity, interoperable payment systems and stronger data governance.
Tinubu pointed to a concrete example of implementation already underway: Nigeria is working with Morocco and Kenya to pilot AfCFTA’s ADAPT framework, which connects national trade systems across borders, calling it proof the continent is shifting from commitment to practice. He said Nigeria takes its role as one of Africa’s AfCFTA Digital Trade Champions seriously and is backing that role with policy rather than rhetoric, and expressed confidence that a continent trading more within itself, adding more value to its own resources, will be one that competes with real confidence on the global stage.
