President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that Africa’s integration efforts will probably be judged not by lofty communiqués or diplomatic declarations, however by tangible outcomes comparable to sooner border crossings, dependable local-currency settlements, and environment friendly motion of products throughout ports and borders.
Talking on Monday on the opening of the Customs Pact – Partnership for African Cooperation in Commerce, Tinubu emphasised that the continent’s future hinges on sensible execution, not rhetoric.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President confused that fragmented markets can’t obtain industrial scale or face up to world shocks.
“Success will probably be judged not by communiqués however by actual outcomes: shorter border-crossing instances, dependable local-currency settlements and environment friendly motion of products throughout borders and ports,” he mentioned.
“Our imaginative and prescient should translate from convention halls to the every day experiences of merchants, producers, logistics operators and farmers.”
Name for disciplined reforms throughout African nations
He referred to as for disciplined reforms throughout African nations to construct border techniques that match the tempo of technological development and financial ambition.
Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s dedication to constructing an Africa “that trades by design,” the place integration is measurable and efficient. He famous that whereas the African Continental Free Commerce Space (AfCFTA) settlement marked a historic step, the actual problem lies in implementation.
“The energy of a continental market can solely be engineered, not declared,” he mentioned, outlining Nigeria’s strategy by way of infrastructure, digital techniques, and institutional coordination.
He highlighted key reforms undertaken by his administration, together with the unification of the overseas trade window, the elimination of gas subsidies to redirect sources to infrastructure, and modernisation of port operations with 24-hour clearance.
“We adopted the Pan-African Cost and Settlement System to spice up intra-African commerce and prioritised non-oil export progress,” Tinubu said. These reforms, he added, type a coherent basis for continental competitiveness.
Nigeria’s built-in trade-enablement structure
The President detailed Nigeria’s built-in trade-enablement structure, noting that businesses such because the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority, Central Bank, Requirements Organisation, NEPC, and NEXIM Bank are actually aligned in objective. Customs has superior digital clearance techniques and risk-based inspections, whereas the Central Bank facilitates local-currency settlements by way of PAPSS.
“No single company can ship the size of reform required for Africa’s prosperity,” Tinubu mentioned.
He additionally introduced the rollout of the Nationwide Single Window, a transformative digital platform for commerce facilitation. Section one is about to launch in March 2026, with full deployment by December 2026.
“It would permit companies to submit import and export data as soon as by way of a unified portal, automate inter-agency knowledge sharing, and minimize cargo clearance time from 21 days to below seven,” he defined. Totally aligned with AfCFTA digital frameworks, the platform is anticipated to place Nigeria as a continental chief in customs digitalisation.
Tinubu concluded by citing measurable progress: intra-African commerce is projected to develop from 15% in 2023 to 25% by 2030, Nigeria’s non-oil exports to African markets rose 38% year-on-year in 2024, and cargo clearance instances at main seaports have dropped by 30%. “These metrics validate a basic precept: when structural boundaries fall and techniques operate predictably, African commerce expands quickly and dynamically,” he mentioned.
What you must know
- Earlier this month, World Commerce Group (WTO) Director-Basic, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had referred to as for pressing reforms to unlock Africa’s commerce potential, revealing that it at the moment prices 20% extra for African nations to commerce with each other than with nations exterior the continent.
- Talking throughout an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Okonjo-Iweala lamented that such inefficiencies undermine the aim of the African Continental Free Commerce Space (AfCFTA), which was designed to spice up intra-African commerce and industrial integration.