South African firms encouraged to expand into global markets through UAE partnership
A recent high-level investment briefing in South Africa, hosted by Creative Zone by Encor in partnership with Azanyah Trade Hub and the UAE Embassy in South Africa, outlined clear pathways for South African businesses to expand into the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The event positioned the UAE as a strategic global gateway, highlighting its business-friendly policies such as 100% foreign […]
Nigeria to lead Africa’s supply chain renaissance: Summit gathers powerhouses to rewire trade, integration and innovation
The 2025 Nigeria Supply Chain Leadership Summit (NSCLS) emerges as a pivotal event positioned at the intersection of global disruption, regional integration, and national transformation. Set for November 14, 2025, the summit is not merely a conference but a strategic forum aimed at redefining Nigeria’s and Africa’s role in the evolving global supply chain landscape. […]
FG, GenCos seal N4trn Power Sector Debt Payment Agreement
The Federal Government of Nigeria has finalized the implementation framework for a ₦4 trillion government-backed bond to settle verified arrears owed to power Generation Companies (GenCos) and gas suppliers. The initiative, known as the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Plan, was approved by President Bola Tinubu and endorsed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in August 2025. The plan aims […]
FG Seals $435m Agreement to Boost Renewable Energy Development Nationwide.
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and various state governments, has signed renewable energy agreements worth $435 million with local and international partners to expand electricity access nationwide. The agreements were formalized at the Nigeria Renewable Energy Innovation Forum (NREIF 2025) in Abuja, as part of efforts to position Nigeria as Africa’s renewable […]
Cross-Border E-Commerce: Unlocking Global Markets for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Cross-border e-commerce is creating new pathways for South Africa’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to compete globally. This was the key message from Mr. Kwanele Mkhwanazi, Director of Export Development and Support at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), during a panel discussion at the 7th Annual EDHE Studentpreneurs Indaba, hosted by […]
Trade and Gender Group Discusses Implementation of 2025-2026 Work Plan
The Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender (IWG) met on 8 October to discuss its 2025–2026 Work Plan and review the implementation roadmap that will guide its gender equality initiatives leading up to the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Cameroon, March 2026. The roadmap outlines concrete steps to integrate gender considerations into trade policies, enhance gender-disaggregated data […]
Ghana and Niger Target Transit Bottlenecks with New Trade Deal
Ghana and Niger have signed a new trade agreement to streamline their shared transit corridor, tackling long-standing delays, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and high trade costs. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in Accra, focuses on harmonizing customs procedures, enhancing cargo tracking, and reducing extortion and excessive checkpoints that have hindered cross-border trade. For Ghana, the deal […]
Ethiopia Begins Shipment of Goods Under AfCFTA Trade Deal
Ethiopia has achieved a significant economic milestone by officially commencing the shipment of goods under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework. The inaugural consignment, consisting of meat, fruits, and various agricultural products, was exported to Somalia, Kenya, and South Africa via land and air routes. At a symbolic ceremony marking the launch, Trade and Regional […]
Zambia Champions Tech to Supercharge Trade Growth
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has called on African nations to prioritize digitization as a key driver for eliminating trade barriers and enhancing economic growth. Speaking at the Third Africa Digital Ministerial E-Government Summit in Lusaka, Hichilema emphasized the critical role of digital transformation in improving cross-border trade efficiency and reducing the high cost of doing business across the […]
Kenny Introduces Bill to Strengthen U.S Trade, Combat Chinese Africa
Senator John Kennedy, has introduced the AGOA Extension and Bilateral Engagement Act, also referred to as AGOA 2.0, aimed at renewing and reforming the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The bill seeks to extend AGOA for two years while aligning the program more closely with U.S. strategic interests and countering China’s growing influence in […]
Ethiopia Targets Kenya and South Africa in first AfCFTA Exports
Ethiopia will officially begin trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on Thursday, 9th October, concluding a seven-year preparation period since signing the agreement in 2018. According to State Minister Yasmin Wohabrebbi, the first exports—comprising agricultural and manufactured goods such as meat, coffee, fruits, edible oil, and textiles—will go to Kenya, with shipments to South Africa and […]
Nigeria, others seek AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol implementation
Nigeria has strengthened its role in advancing digital trade integration across Africa by hosting the first Digital Trade Market Access Roundtable in Lagos, aimed at implementing the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol. Led by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), the event brought together regulators from Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa to guide Nigerian […]
The WCO Supports Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office and Stakeholders to Enhance Competencies in Rules of Origin
The World Customs Organization (WCO), in partnership with the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office and the Nigeria Customs Service, conducted an Advanced Training Workshop on Rules of Origin (RoO) in Abuja from 16 to 18 September 2025. The initiative, held under the EU-WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme and funded by the European Union, aimed to […]
Biashara Africa Forum Postponed to November in Lomé
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat has announced that the third edition of the Biashara Africa Forum will now take place from November 3–5, 2025, instead of the earlier scheduled dates of October 20–22, 2025. The forum will be hosted in Lomé, Togo, a city recognized for its active role in advancing the implementation of […]
African Parliamentary Leaders Applaud Progress in AfCFTA Implementation
The 2025 Conference of Speakers of National and Regional Parliaments held from 29th – 30th September 2025, underscored growing confidence in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a driver of continental integration and industrial transformation. Speakers from across Africa commended the AfCFTA Secretariat, led by Secretary-General Wamkele Mene, for its tangible progress in operationalizing […]
Navigating Trade Challenges: South Africa’s Economic Future Post-AGOA
The latest trade statistics from the South African Revenue Service (SARS), released on 30 September 2025, reflect both strength and vulnerability in South Africa’s economic landscape. Despite recording a R4.0 billion trade surplus, exports fell by 6.8% while imports grew by 1.9%, highlighting the fragility of the current trade balance. The decline in major export […]
Namibia’s intra-Africa exports hit N$4.7b
Namibia’s export performance continues to show impressive growth, underscoring the country’s expanding role in regional trade and investment. As of late 2024, Namibia’s total exports to African markets exceeded N$4.7 billion, while imports from the continent stood at N$7.7 billion. The country’s key export commodities — diamonds, uranium, gold, fish, and copper — continue to drive […]
New WTO-World Bank reports hail progress in advancing Africa’s digital trade
The WTO Secretariat and the World Bank have successfully completed the pilot phase of their joint initiative, “Digital Trade for Africa,” culminating in the publication of digital trade assessments for six African countries: Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Rwanda. During an information session on 25 September, both organizations briefed WTO members on the project’s […]
Manufacturers Warn Proposed Tax Stamp Could Trigger Inflation and Weaken Nigeria’s AfCFTA Competitiveness
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has warned that proposed tax stamps on excisable goods would worsen inflation, shrink consumer demand, and undermine Nigeria’s competitiveness under AfCFTA. While acknowledging the gains of the 2025 Tax Act—which simplified levies and reduced compliance costs—MAN argued that tax stamps would reintroduce hidden burdens, raise production costs, and push consumers […]
Nigeria leads West African delegation to strengthen Trade ties with Malaysia
Nigeria has taken the lead in positioning West Africa on the global halal stage through a strong presence at the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2025, held on 20th September 2025, organized by MATRADE. The region was represented by 25 buyers — including eight from Nigeria — alongside participants from Senegal, Mali, and Ghana, reflecting […]
ECOWAS Moves to Review 0.5% Import Levy Amid Revenue Decline
ECOWAS member states, including Ghana, have begun reviewing the bloc’s Community Levy, a 0.5% tax on imports from non-ECOWAS countries, to address declining revenues and strengthen financing for regional programmes. The levy, which provides up to 80% of ECOWAS’s budget, has been in place for over 18 years but now faces challenges related to compliance, efficiency, […]
ECOWAS Steps Up Efforts to Implement Enhanced Trade Scheme
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is stepping up efforts to improve its Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) after a regional meeting in Accra, Ghana, from 9–12 September 2025, which identified ongoing obstacles to intra-regional trade. The ETLS, which allows duty-free movement of qualifying goods produced within the region, is central to ECOWAS’s goal […]
Climate Summit 2025: The path to COP30
The Climate Ambition Summit, held on 24 September at UN Headquarters in New York, marks a pivotal moment ahead of COP30. Designed as a focused high-level event rather than a negotiating session, it calls on world leaders, businesses, and civil society to deliver new or updated national climate pledges under the Paris Agreement. UN Secretary-General […]
OECD Seeks ‘Aid for Trade 2.0’ to Tackle Climate and Digital Inequities
The OECD’s new working paper, Aid for Trade at a Crossroads, warns that the initiative risks irrelevance unless it evolves to address climate change, digitalization, and inequality. Originally designed to strengthen trade capacity in developing countries, aid for trade has financed infrastructure, modernised customs, and supported entry into global value chains. However, the current landscape is more […]
WTO warns Africa to bridge Digital gap or miss AI-driven trade boom
The World Trade Organization’s 2025 World Trade Report and its companion study Trading with Intelligence emphasize that artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a defining force in global commerce. While AI could boost world trade by up to 14 percentage points by 2040 under universal adoption and productivity growth, the report warns that uneven uptake may cut potential gains […]
Africa’s Digital Trade push gains momentum as Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker speaks at WTO-IPU Forum
Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, has urged global parliamentarians to take bold legislative measures that will position digital trade as a shared engine of growth. Speaking at the WTO-IPU Steering Committee session during the WTO Public Forum 2025 in Geneva, Kalu framed digital trade as one of the greatest governance challenges […]
The Echoes of the Eco; How To Make It a Reality.
Article- 19th September 2025 Mercy Obed. In the words of the world-renowned author, Helen Keller; “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”. The proposed single currency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Eco, represents a seismic step towards deeper regional economic integration. At its […]
Togo surpasses South Africa as Nigeria’s top African trading partner in Q2 2025
Nigeria’s trade landscape within Africa experienced a major shift in Q2 2025, as Togo surpassed South Africa to become the country’s top African trading partner, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Nigerian exports to Togo rose dramatically from N134.8 billion in Q1 to N811.97 billion in Q2, with non-crude goods (N698.7 billion) making up […]
Nigeria, others to unlock $2.1 billion in digital trade through DCO Membership
Nigeria’s participation in the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) positions it to benefit from the recently launched Model Digital Economy Agreement (MDEA), an interoperable rulebook designed to harmonize digital trade across member states. The MDEA covers 12 core policy areas, such as trade facilitation, cross-border data flows, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, electronic transactions, payments, and SME inclusion. Once […]
Nigeria champions regional energy integration to tackle $120bn Import Bill at Africa Oil Week 2025
At the Africa Oil Week (AOW) 2025 Ministerial and CEO Leadership Forum, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, reaffirmed Nigeria’s leadership in advancing Africa’s energy security while advocating for deeper regional integration. He stressed that harmonized policies, shared infrastructure, and technical expertise are essential to address Africa’s energy poverty and […]