The Federal Executive Council has ratified Nigeria’s membership of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement ahead of the December 5, 2020 deadline.1 The AfCFTA, which comes into effect on the 1st of January 2021, aims to create a single market for goods and services in Africa that can potentially increase consumer and business spending to over $6.7 trillion by 2030.2 Nigeria with its substantial market, large labour force and the economy is likely to be a major beneficiary of the agreement. However, the Nigerian government in some instances has taken an anti-trade policy stance such as the closure of land borders with Benin, Niger, and Cameroon in order to curb the smuggling of food products, and the new import prohibition on Maize. As such, the government will have to improve its preparedness towards implementing the AfCFTA by identifying and achieving quick wins to enhance trade across borders. Another important policy objective is increasing the awareness of the AfCFTA among local businesses in order that they leverage on the increased market access.
December 14, 2020
Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 45)
Related
Nigeria Economic Update (Issue 38)
Recent
NBS data on Nigerias real GDP growth rate declined from -0.36 percent in
2016Q1 to -2.06 percent in 2016Q2. With negative GDP growth rate in
two consecutive quarters, Nigeria records its first recession in 23 years. Both
the oil and non-oil sectors continued to contract by -15.59 and -0.20
percentage points, respectively, relative to preceding quarter. The worsening
growth rate in the oil sector was largely driven by the decline in domestic crude
oil production by 14.5 percent relative to preceding quarter