Tinubu Pushes for Practical Measures to Boost Intra-African Trade

President Bola Tinubu has restated Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening intra-African trade, stressing that AfCFTA’s success depends on practical outcomes such as faster border processing, reliable local-currency settlements, and smoother movement of goods across the continent.

He said this at the opening of the Customs Pact Partnership for African Cooperation in Trade (C-PACT) in Abuja, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima. The gathering brought together customs leaders and trade partners to drive modern, efficient cross-border systems.

Tinubu noted that Africa must abandon outdated border practices, adding that fragmented markets cannot drive industrialisation or withstand global shocks. He said regional integration will support stronger supply chains and greater economic resilience.

He explained that Nigeria is advancing reforms foreign exchange unification, fuel subsidy removal, port modernisation, and adoption of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System to boost trade competitiveness.

“Nigeria remains firmly committed to building an Africa that trades by design, where integration is practical, measurable and effective. Our ambition is simple: borders that create opportunities, not obstacles,” Tinubu said.

“Success will be judged by real outcomes—shorter border-crossing times, efficient movement of goods and reliable settlements. Our vision must reflect the daily experiences of traders, manufacturers and logistics operators,” he added.

Other speakers, including officials from the Finance Ministry, Industry Ministry, WCO, Afreximbank and the Nigeria Customs Service, stressed that coordinated reforms and digital customs systems are vital to making AfCFTA a practical and beneficial reality for African nations.