Minister urges entrepreneurs to take advantage of emerging opportunities under AfCTA

Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, has urged Nigerian entrepreneurs and startups to take advantage of emerging opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as discussions continue at the 2026 Biashara Africa summit.

Biashara Africa 2026, regarded as one of the continent’s leading trade and investment platforms, brought together policymakers, business leaders, financial institutions and trade facilitators to accelerate the implementation of the AfCFTA agreement and deepen intra-African trade.

Speaking in her capacity as the Incoming Chair of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers, Dr. Oduwole challenged African leaders and policymakers to move beyond policy commitments and address the practical barriers hindering trade and investment across the continent.

She also commended Togolese President, Faure Gnassingbé, and the Government of Togo for what she described as decisive actions advancing the vision of the AfCFTA and strengthening Africa’s ambition of building an integrated market of more than 1.4 billion people.

As part of efforts to drive implementation of the continental trade pact, the minister announced the launch of the AfCFTA Startup Acceleration Programme 2026, a flagship initiative under the AfCFTA–Korea Africa Foundation partnership.

According to her, the programme is designed to support 30 high-potential African startups seeking to expand beyond the continent and access international markets, particularly South Korea.

Dr. Oduwole explained that the initiative presents significant opportunities for Nigerian startups operating in sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, logistics, agritech, manufacturing and digital platforms to strengthen their operations, scale internationally and position themselves for cross-border growth.

“The future of the AfCFTA will not be built by policy alone. It will be driven by enterprises, innovators, manufacturers, digital platforms and entrepreneurs who are ready to trade,” she said.

The minister, who also serves as Co-Champion of Digital Trade under the AfCFTA, encouraged eligible Nigerian startups to apply for the programme through SME.Support@au-afcfta.org before the application deadline of May 24, 2026.

She further noted that Africa’s economic integration drive had recorded another major milestone with the announcement by the Government of Togo removing visa requirements for African passport holders and investors travelling to the country for short stays.

According to her, the policy signals that Africa is gradually transitioning from regional aspirations to concrete action aimed at promoting trade, investment and movement across borders.