By: Aba O. Aba in Abuja.
The Federal Government has commenced the recalibration of Nigeria’s trade negotiation architecture to ensure the country approaches bilateral, regional, continental and multilateral trade negotiations with clear objectives and firm focus on national economic interests.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at the Stakeholders Engagement on Nigeria’s Trade and Investment Negotiation Architecture.
Dr. Oduwole said trade policy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda must support industrial development, expand non-oil exports, enhance competitiveness and create jobs.
She said the reformed Enlarged National Focal Point (ENFP) on Trade Matters will now operate as the Nigeria Trade Negotiation Architecture (NTNA), with the Trade Department and the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN) serving as Co-Technical Leads.
According to her, the new architecture will introduce monthly reporting, quarterly stakeholder engagements and designated focal officers to strengthen coordination and accountability.
She urged the private sector, labour, academia and MSMEs to provide information on market opportunities and trade barriers to enable government develop realistic negotiating positions.
She also announced plans to strengthen the Commercial Officer cadre for market intelligence and support for Nigerian businesses, while clarifying that investment negotiations will remain a distinct track.
In his welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu, represented by Mr. Simon Omo-Ezomo, said each institution is expected to nominate two focal officers and that deliberations will be documented into an action matrix.
The National Coordinator, Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mrs. Patience Okala, said ECOWAS has finalised Category B and C tariff lists for onward transmission to AfCFTA authorities, marking an important step in completing the tariff concession process.
The engagement is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s framework for trade negotiations through evidence, technical expertise and stakeholder input.
