58 Lagos Markets Seek AfCFTA Partnership, Demand Practical Access for Traders and SMEs

BY KESSIENNA SHEPHERDS

The informal sector of the Nigerian economy may be preparing for a more active role in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as the umbrella body representing 58 major market associations in Lagos has formally sought a partnership with the AfCFTA Nigeria Country Office.

The Ndigboamaka Progressive Market Association, which said it represents thousands of traders, market leaders and small and medium enterprises across major markets in Nigeria, has requested a collaborative meeting with the AfCFTA Nigeria Country Office to explore how ordinary traders and SMEs can practically benefit from the continental trade agreement.

In a letter addressed to the CEO/National Coordinator of the AfCFTA Nigeria Country Office, Mrs. Patience Okala, the association said its members were eager to understand and take advantage of the opportunities presented by AfCFTA, while also drawing attention to the practical challenges confronting traders engaged in cross-border commerce.

The move is significant coming from a major segment of Nigeria’s informal economy, which has traditionally been deeply involved in regional trade but has often operated outside the formal structures and technical requirements associated with international trade agreements.

According to the association, its members in textiles, electronics, agro-products, manufactured goods and services need practical guidance on how to access AfCFTA benefits, particularly with regard to rules of origin, trade documentation, standards and export procedures.

It therefore proposed a comprehensive sensitisation and capacity-building programme that would take AfCFTA awareness beyond government offices and formal business organisations to market men and women across the country.

The association also identified infrastructure and policy constraints—including customs processes, border bottlenecks, logistics costs and access to finance—as issues requiring urgent attention if the continental free trade agreement is to deliver meaningful benefits to small traders and emerging businesses.

It called for the establishment of a structured feedback mechanism through which traders could report difficulties encountered at ports and borders and work with relevant authorities towards resolving them.

Of particular interest is the association’s proposal for stronger support for export-ready SMEs seeking to move away from Nigeria’s traditional import-dependent trading model towards manufacturing and exports.

The group said the Nigeria Customs Service has an important role to play in facilitating that transition, particularly as Nigeria seeks to leverage AfCFTA to expand its productive capacity, increase non-oil exports and strengthen its position in intra-African trade.

Ndigboamaka stressed that its objective was to ensure that AfCFTA “works for the ordinary trader” in major commercial centres such as Lagos, Onitsha, Aba and Kano, among others.

The association linked the proposed partnership to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s export-led growth agenda, arguing that achieving the objectives of AfCFTA would require the active inclusion of traders and SMEs that constitute a substantial part of Nigeria’s economic activity.

The delegation to the proposed meeting, which the association requested to hold in August or September 2026, is expected to be led by its President, Comrade Chinedu Ukatu, alongside key executives and market leaders.

The development could mark an important step towards bridging the gap between Africa’s ambitious free-trade framework and the millions of Nigerian traders whose daily commercial activities constitute the grassroots face of the country’s economy.

For AfCFTA to translate into increased intra-African trade, the association’s intervention suggests that the focus may now need to shift from policy formulation to practical implementation—ensuring that the benefits of continental integration are accessible not only to large corporations and established exporters, but also to the ordinary trader and small business owner.