Nigeria has called on African nations to place trade and economic cooperation at the centre of Pan-African diplomacy, saying partnerships will only endure when anchored on shared economic interests.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Amb Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call on Friday, 2 October 2026, at the Ministerial Roundtable on “Trade and Economic Cooperation at the Centre of Pan-African Diplomacy” at the inaugural Africa-Alamein Business Forum (Go63) in New Alamein City, Egypt.
In a press statement issued by his SA Media and Strategic Communications, Office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Richard Elesho, and made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Saturday, the Minister stated that “For too long, we treated trade and diplomacy as separate tracks. Our partnerships endure only when they rest on shared economic interests,” he said, noting that Africa remains the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy.
Enikanolaiye cited Nigeria’s reforms since 2023 — fuel subsidy removal, FX unification and fiscal strengthening — yielding 4.43 per cent growth in Q2 2026, inflation down to 15.39 per cent in August, reserves at $54.86 billion as of 24 September, and MPR cut to 23 per cent. He added that the National Single Window went live on 27 March 2026 and the Nigeria Tax Act consolidating over 60 levies took effect on 1 January 2026.
On AfCFTA, he described it as Africa’s most important trade instrument, with 50 ratifications and 39 countries now on the Guided Trade Initiative. Nigeria has validated its Implementation Strategy, gazetted its tariff concessions, submitted services commitments and ratified the Digital Trade Protocol in November 2025. A new air cargo corridor with Uganda Airlines and UNDP has cut freight costs by 50 to 75 per cent.
He stressed that trade needs finance, welcoming Afreximbank and PAPSS, and disclosed that the CBN directed banks to adopt PAPSS from April 2025 for local-currency settlement.
The Minister proposed five actions: make trade facilitation a standing diplomatic item; tackle non-tariff barriers; widen trade finance for SMEs, women and youth; invest in transport/energy corridors and regional value chains; and speak with one voice in external trade negotiations.
On Nigeria-Egypt ties, he said trade at $223 million in 2025 is below potential and called for implementation of the July 2025 Nigeria-Egypt Business Forum and the proposed Joint Investment Council.
Earlier, Egyptian Prime Minister H.E. Dr Mostafa Madbouly opened the forum, describing it as a sustainable platform for dialogue among governments, the private sector and financial institutions. Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, H.E. Mohamed Farid, also called for cooperation to build an integrated African automotive industry.
The Go63 Forum, organised by Egypt, Afreximbank and AUDA-NEPAD, runs till 4 October and is a permanent biennial platform to convert integration goals into investments.