NEPAD AND ABR FORGE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE TO DRIVE AfCFTA IMPLEMENTATION

NEPAD and ABR ignite fresh momentum for AfCFTA, charting bold course for Africa’s trade-driven transformation.

Trade Nigeria Africa Collaboration Actionable strategy Agenda.
 
African Union Development Agency
African Union Development Agency



The NEPAD Business Group Nigeria (NBGN) has officially repositioned itself as a catalytic trade enabler, unveiling a bold strategic relaunch in collaboration with the African Business Roundtable (ABR) to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

This new direction was showcased at a high-level business forum co-hosted by NBGN and ABR on the sidelines of the 2025 Afreximbank Annual Meetings, where over 100 top-tier stakeholders, including development financiers, policy regulators, and private sector leaders, converged to translate the lofty ambitions of AfCFTA into concrete, actionable strategies.

Speaking at the forum, Bashorun Randle, Chairman of NBGN, described the partnership with ABR as a turning point in Africa’s drive toward a unified economic future. He called for bold, visionary leadership across sectors to bridge Africa’s industrial deficits and champion inclusive trade. “AfCFTA must become the engine for industrialisation, job creation, and a resilient economic future,” he said, underlining the need for infrastructure development, SME empowerment, and deeper public-private synergy.

The forum, themed “Operationalising the AfCFTA: Building Trade Infrastructure and Private Sector Capacity for Continental Integration,” served as the platform for launching NBGN’s updated strategy, titled “The Infrastructure Imperative.” The initiative underscores the group’s commitment to resolving trade barriers through investments in reliable power, logistics efficiency, and digital trade infrastructure.

Panellists, including energy expert Mallam Idris Danlami Mohammad, unanimously stressed the urgent need for a dependable energy supply and integrated logistics systems. Discussions also spotlighted innovative private sector programmes like Zenith Bank’s ‘Z-Woman’ and ‘Zero to Hero’ initiatives and Sterling Bank’s raw material aggregation schemes aimed at boosting SME competitiveness across borders.

From a policy standpoint, the forum saw robust contributions from ECOWAS’ Mr. Kolawole Sofola and Nigerian Customs’ Mr. Mojeed Omoniyi, who shared updates on ongoing efforts to harmonise regional trade policies and deploy digital tools like the SIGMA platform to eliminate non-tariff barriers.

Africa Business Council President, Dr. Amany Asfour, issued a call for a shift from raw material exports to regional value addition, urging African economies to industrialise and grow their internal manufacturing capacities.

Another resonant message came from former Bank of Industry executive Dr. Waheed Olagunju, who urged a narrative reset on Africa’s image. “Africa is not synonymous with poverty,” he said. “We must invest in ourselves, deepen our capital markets, and tell our own story.”

As part of its renewed mission, NBGN affirmed its commitment to: Mobilizing finance for SMEs and industrial development, promoting trade infrastructure and regional value chains, supporting policy harmonisation under AfCFTA protocols, and championing a confident, self-reliant African trade narrative. 

The forum positions NBGN not just as a stakeholder, but as a driving force behind Nigeria’s and Africa’s trade transformation, closely aligned with the goals of Agenda 2063.

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