Nigeria Can Lead Africa’s Trade Future with Right Investments and Reforms, Okonjo-Iweala Says

WTO Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said Nigeria is well-positioned to lead Africa’s new trade era if it addresses high logistics costs, strengthens payment systems, and invests in value addition. Speaking at the WTO Public Forum in Geneva, she urged Nigeria and other African nations to fast-track the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation and boost intra-African trade, which remains below 20 percent. Okonjo-Iweala also explained the importance of infrastructure, digital trade, and services, while celebrating the WTO’s landmark Fisheries Subsidies Agreement as proof that multilateral cooperation can still deliver global solutions.

Written by Adeyemi Adewale