To Maximise AfCFTA, FG Boosts Capacity of 3 Million Exporters on Rules of Origin

James Emejo in Abuja

The Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office has partnered with the World Customs Organization (WCO) to train no fewer than three million Nigerian businesses on understanding and applications of rules governing the export of goods under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

The move forms part of the federal government’s preparations to take advantage of the intra-African trade deal.

National Coordinator of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, disclosed this during the AfCFTA Rules of Origin workshop for the Organized Private Sectors of Nigeria (OPSN), SMEs and critical stakeholders in Abuja.

Represented by Technical Director of the project/ Senior Trade Expert and Lead at the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mr. Olusegun Olutayo, Awolowo stated that the capacity-building initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, particularly in human capital development, trade expansion, and inclusive growth under the AfCFTA.  

He said the Rules of Origin are among the most critical instruments and a major pillar for qualifying goods for preferential access across the continent, stressing the need for business owners to fully understand and apply these rules to participate effectively in the new continental trade regime.  

Awolowo said, “This workshop is not an isolated initiative. It is part of a broader series of engagements that the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office is rolling out nationwide to demystify AfCFTA instruments for our stakeholders.”

He urged participants to master the product-specific rules to ensure compliance and market access, noting that “Upon your return to your respective organisations, organise in-house briefings or peer-learning sessions so that the insights gained here cascade throughout your value chains.”  

The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Mr. Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, represented by Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs (DCG) for Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, also stated that Nigeria was ready to gain maximum benefits from the AfCFTA agreement and support determined exporters in expanding trade.  

She highlighted the NCS’s improved ICT infrastructure and the establishment of an export command as key efforts to streamline the processing and facilitation of goods for export under the AfCFTA.  

In her remarks,, the WCO Representative, Faith Mathenge, told participants that the EU-WCO Origin for Africa Programme, funded by the European Union, was launched in July 2022 to support Customs administrations, government agencies, regional economic communities, and the private sector in implementing and applying Rules of Origin, with a focus on the AfCFTA.  

She said, “The Programme, in collaboration with the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, has a clear goal of building cross-sectoral capacity in Rules of Origin to propel Nigeria into the next level of trade, including intra-African trade, trade with Europe, and trade with the rest of the world.

“I wish to reiterate the EU-WCO Origin for Africa Programme’s commitment to supporting the NCS and its stakeholders’ capacity-building needs, including any required technical assistance.”