Oduwole unveils new negotiation architecture to drive industrial growth, expand non-oil exports, create jobs and strengthen Nigeria’s position in regional and global markets

By Chioma Vivian James

The Federal Government has commenced a major recalibration of Nigeria’s trade negotiation architecture, in a strategic effort to strengthen the country’s bargaining position in bilateral, regional, continental and multilateral trade engagements.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday at the Stakeholders’ Engagement on Nigeria’s Trade and Investment Negotiation Architecture, saying the reform was designed to ensure that Nigeria’s trade policy more effectively supports industrial development, expands non-oil exports, enhances competitiveness and creates jobs.

Oduwole said the Enlarged National Focal Point (ENFP) on Trade Matters would 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.

Under the new framework, the government plans to introduce monthly reporting, quarterly stakeholder engagements and designated focal officers from participating institutions to improve coordination, institutional continuity and accountability.

The Minister stressed that a successful trade negotiation system must go beyond creating institutional structures, insisting that it must be anchored on rigorous preparation, reliable data, technical expertise and meaningful consultation.

She therefore urged the private sector, labour, academia, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and other stakeholders to provide concrete information on market opportunities, trade barriers, competitive advantages and potential vulnerabilities.

Such inputs, she said, would enable government negotiators to develop positions that accurately reflect Nigeria’s economic realities and national priorities.

Oduwole also announced plans to strengthen the Commercial Officer cadre to provide market intelligence, trade-policy analysis and practical support for Nigerian businesses seeking to operate and compete in international markets.

She clarified that investment negotiations under the International Investment Agreement Negotiation Team would remain a distinct track, while the broader reform seeks to establish a coordinated, evidence-led, commercially informed and accountable system capable of protecting Nigeria’s interests and positioning Nigerian businesses for stronger participation in regional and global markets.

FROM ENFP TO A NEW TRADE ARCHITECTURE

Providing the background to the reform, officials recalled that the Enlarged National Focal Point for the World Trade Organization (WTO) was established in 2001 as a national consultation mechanism within the then Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The platform brought together government institutions, private-sector organisations, academia, professional bodies and other stakeholders to provide technical advice, facilitate consultations, harmonise negotiating positions and support Nigeria’s bilateral, regional, continental and multilateral trade engagements.

Over the years, however, its effectiveness was affected by challenges including a large and dispersed membership, irregular meetings, changes in institutional representation, weak follow-up and record-keeping, as well as overlaps with other trade-related institutions.

The recalibration is therefore designed to preserve the inclusive character of the former ENFP while introducing clearer technical leadership, reporting lines, institutional responsibilities and accountability.

Under the proposed arrangement, the Director of Trade would chair the architecture, while relevant departments would provide technical leadership. A designated Secretariat would maintain the negotiation portfolio, institutional records and action reports.

The Commercial Officer function would equally be strengthened to support policy analysis, negotiation preparation, stakeholder coordination, reporting and institutional knowledge management.

STRONGER COORDINATION, CLEARER RESPONSIBILITIES

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu, represented by the Head of Special Duties Department, Mr. Simon Omo-Ezomo, welcomed stakeholders to the engagement and conveyed the Minister’s directive providing the basis for developing the proposed Nigeria Trade and Investment Negotiation Architecture.

He said the framework was expected to comprise the National Trade Coordination Platform and the National International Investment Agreement Negotiation Team, with a designated Secretariat responsible for coordination.

According to him, the engagement was convened to examine how the proposed mechanism would operate in practice, with presentations and discussions focusing on membership, responsibilities, terms of reference and the status of ongoing negotiations.

He urged participating institutions to make concise and practical contributions, identify areas of overlap or uncertainty and indicate the technical support they could provide.

Each participating institution is expected to nominate two focal officers to improve continuity, strengthen information exchange and enhance the quality and timeliness of Nigeria’s trade negotiations.

Isokpunwu added that the Trade Negotiation Department would document the deliberations and develop an action matrix assigning responsibilities and timelines.

AFRICAN TRADE AGENDA GAINS MOMENTUM

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, Mrs. Patience Okala, provided an update on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Category B and C classification being led by the ECOWAS Commission.

Okala said negotiations on the three tariff categories had reached an advanced stage, with the ECOWAS Commission proceeding with the transmission of the agreed Category B and C lists to the AfCFTA authorities.

She recalled that, following the October 30, 2020 ECOWAS memorandum, the ECOWAS Commission was mandated to finalise the draft ECOWAS Common Schedule of Tariff Concessions, incorporating the 73 tariff lines agreed by the Ministerial Committee on Tariff Concessions comprising Ghana, The Gambia, Nigeria and the ECOWAS Commission.

She explained that Category A covers 90 per cent of tariff lines, while Category B covers sensitive products and Category C covers products on the exclusion list.

While Category A was initially required during the early phase of AfCFTA implementation, she noted that implementation now requires the full complement of Categories A, B and C.

Okala said the ECOWAS Commission had finalised the Category B and C listings following the directive of the ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry at their meeting in Accra, Ghana, and in line with decisions of the 18th AfCFTA Council of Ministers.

The development, she said, represents an important step towards completing the tariff concession process and advancing implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

With the recalibration, the Federal Government is seeking to establish a stronger institutional foundation for how Nigeria develops, coordinates and advances its trade negotiating positions.

The objective is to ensure that Nigeria’s growing participation in regional and global commerce is backed by evidence, technical expertise, reliable market intelligence, meaningful stakeholder input and clear institutional accountability—while creating greater opportunities for Nigerian industries and businesses to compete in an increasingly integrated global marketplace.