FG Inaugurates ADAPT Forum to Cut Trade Costs, Boost Digital Commerce Under AfCFTA

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Federal Government, through the Nigeria African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) coordination office, has inaugurated the Africa Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade (ADAPT) country implementation forum/subcommittee in a move to position Nigeria at the centre of Africa’s digital trade transformation.

Nigeria was selected alongside Kenya and Morocco as one of three pilot countries for the ADAPT framework, a flagship initiative of the AfCFTA secretariat in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.

The inauguration, which held Wednesday in Abuja, signals Nigeria’s shift from policy design to practical implementation of the AfCFTA protocol on digital trade.

Speaking at the event, the National Coordinator/CEO of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mrs. Patience Okala,

said the forum reflected Nigeria’s resolve “not only to participate in Africa’s digital economy, but to actively shape its future”.

Okala attributed the recognition to Nigeria’s robust digital ecosystem and its leadership in digital trade, as Nigeria currently serves as co-champion of the AfCFTA digital trade protocol. 

Okala revealed that driving the implementation is the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, who also serves as Chairperson of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers.

ADAPT, she said, was designed to integrate Africa’s trade ecosystem into a single, interoperable and trusted digital infrastructure that covers digital identity, customs, payments, logistics, documentation, data exchange and trade services. 

According to the National Coordinator, as Africa transitions from negotiating the AfCFTA to implementing it, competitiveness will increasingly depend not only on what countries produce but on how efficiently they trade.

“For Nigeria, the Forum will focus on delivering practical outcomes that directly impact businesses. These include simplifying trade documentation and border processes, enabling trusted digital identities for traders, facilitating faster cross-border payments, improving logistics, and reducing the cost of doing business.

“A key priority is to expand market access for MSMEs, women-owned enterprises, youth-led businesses and innovators across the continent,” she said.

The initiative, Okala stated, aligned directly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly on economic diversification, digital transformation, trade expansion, investment promotion, innovation and job creation. 

The coordinator noted that because ADAPT cut across multiple sectors, its success would depend on coordination among trade, customs, payments, digital identity, data protection, ICT, logistics, standards and regulatory institutions, as well as strong collaboration with the private sector.

Members of the newly inaugurated ADAPT Country Implementation Forum/Subcommittee have been tasked with developing a roadmap for implementing ADAPT in Nigeria and identifying regulatory gaps that must be closed to advance digital trade. 

The national coordinator urged members to approach the assignment with technical rigour and a shared sense of national purpose, stressing that the quality of Nigeria’s contribution will depend on the expertise and commitment of every institution represented.

She also acknowledged the continued technical support of the AfCFTA Secretariat and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, and thanked all ministries, departments and agencies present for their commitment to the national assignment.

With the inauguration, Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to build the digital infrastructure that will make African trade faster, smarter, more secure and more inclusive.