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By Chinwendu Obienyi and Chukwuma Umeorah
With less than six months to go until the fourth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) in Algeria, Nigerian trade and investment officials are ramping up efforts to mobilise the private sector and boost the country’s footprint in Africa’s $3.4 trillion single market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
This is even as the federal government revealed yesterday that plans are underway to launch Nigeria’s national intellectual property policy and strategy before the end of this month.
Speaking at a roadshow in Lagos via zoom, the Minister, Federal Ministry of industry, trade and investment
Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, urged Nigerian businesses to take advantage of the fair as a platform to scale regionally.
She stated that the IATF is not just an exhibition, but rather a bridge to markets, partners, and policy dialogue across the continent. According to her, this is Nigeria’s opportunity to lead from the front in operationalising the AfCFTA.
Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat, the IATF brings together thousands of buyers and sellers from across Africa and the diaspora to foster trade and investment linkages. The 2025 edition will be hosted in Algiers, Algeria, from September 4–10, 2025 under the theme; “Harnessing Regional and Continental Value Chains: Accelerating Africa’s Industrialization and Global Competitiveness under the AfCFTA”.
While stating that Nigeria is working to align its reforms with continental trade objectives, Oduwole said that the Tinubu administration is committed to a national AfCFTA strategy that unlocks export potential and accelerates investment.
She said, “As we talk about expanding our mindsets and unlocking new markets, we must recognize the creative economy as a serious trade frontier”.
Oduwole noted that platforms such as Canex, are proving that African culture is bankable, not just useful.
“From fashion to film, to music, to publishing, to food, Nigerian creatives are already exporting stories and styles across the continent. Canex is helping to turn that cultural power into real trade and investment, and we must lean all the way into it. At FMITI, we are working
to launch Nigeria’s national intellectual property policy and strategy this summer. This will be a game-changer for creators and innovators,” the Minister said.
She also mentioned that the ministry is looking to partner with Afreximbank, BOI, and NEPC to expand the country’s access to trade, equip SMEs, de-risk regional export transactions, support special economic zones as production and export hubs.
Echoing Oduwole’s remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni, highlighted the need for Nigeria to shift from export ambition to execution.
“Our SMEs are the engine of export-led growth. We are supporting them to standardise, brand, and access new markets across Africa”, Ayeni said.
She also announced that the NEPC has launched a National Preparatory Committee for IATF2025, bringing together representatives from government, industry, and the creative economy to ensure Nigeria’s participation is strategic and well-coordinated.
In previous editions, Nigeria has consistently ranked among the top five exhibitors at the fair, accounting for a significant share of the over $43 billion in trade and investment deals concluded at IATF since 2018. However, stakeholders believe the country can do even more.
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Vice President of Intra-African Trade Bank at Afreximbank, Kanayo Awani, said the 2025 fair will feature seven days of high-level business engagements, trade deals, cultural showcases, and creative economy forums.
“Nigeria’s creative, tech, and service sectors beyond commodities must show up in full force. We want to see more intra-African contracts being signed by Nigerian businesses, not just buyers and sellers”, Awani said.
Awani also revealed that Nigeria is among the top beneficiaries of Afreximbank’s $40 billion trade financing program and encouraged entrepreneurs to explore new corridors such as the Lagos–Dakar and Lagos–Abidjan routes, which are gaining traction under AfCFTA’s Guided Trade Initiative.
Beyond participation, the FG is keen to use IATF2025 as a springboard to promote Made-in-Nigeria goods, attract foreign direct investment, and showcase recent reforms in customs digitisation, trade facilitation, and logistics infrastructure.
The Nigerian Pavilion at IATF2025 is expected to host over 150 companies across manufacturing, agriculture, fashion, tech, film, and professional services.
