The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, says Nigeria is advancing efforts to streamline cross-border trade through a new digital infrastructure initiative aimed at reducing trade costs and improving efficiency in customs processes.
Oduwole disclosed this after receiving a delegation from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) and the IOTA Foundation, led by TBI Nigeria Country Director Obianuju Uchenna and Senior Advisor Alban Odhiambo.
According to her, discussions focused on the Africa Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade (ADAPT), a flagship initiative of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat designed to operationalise the Protocol on Digital Trade.
The minister said the project is expected to modernise trade systems across participating African countries by reducing bottlenecks, accelerating customs clearance, and expanding access to regional and continental markets for Nigerian businesses.
She noted that strengthening digital trade infrastructure would be key to enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness within the AfCFTA framework and supporting broader economic diversification goals.
The ADAPT initiative is being positioned as a core component of Africa’s emerging digital trade architecture, with emphasis on interoperability, secure data exchange, and simplified regulatory processes across borders.
