The Oyo State government has met with the leadership of the African Continental Free Trade Area to discuss collaborative initiatives as the state begins full implementation of the AfCFTA strategy.
The AfCFTA strategy is a comprehensive framework designed to create a single African market for goods and services, uniting 55 AU nations to boost intra-African trade, industrialisation, and economic integration. It aims to eliminate tariffs on 90 per cent of goods, reduce non-tariff barriers, and harmonize trade regulations to foster economic growth, create jobs, and enhance global competitiveness.
Governor ‘Seyi Makinde held the meeting with AfCFTA officials in Accra, Ghana, as a follow-up to a train-the-trainers workshop held in Ibadan.
Special adviser to Governor Makinde on international trade and AfCFTA, Neo Theodore Tlhaselo, said the deliberation in Ghana was the first by any subnational in 2026. She said it was held to “set the tone for the collaborative initiatives intended between the Oyo government and the AfCFTA secretariat, as the full rollout of implementation begins.”
Under the AfCFTA strategy, subnationals (states, provinces, cities) are essential for free trade agency’s success by driving implementation, enhancing SME export readiness, and creating local, place-based economic strategies. They are expected to align local policies with national trade goals, improve infrastructure, foster regional value chains, and facilitate trade through regulatory support and capacity building.
Key responsibilities for subnational governments include: creating tailored plans that align with national AfCFTA strategies, such as focusing on local agro-processing, manufacturing, and logistics hubs. Preparing Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) by training them on export requirements, certification, packaging, and compliance with international standards. Providing or improving local infrastructure—such as roads, electricity, water, and digital solutions—crucial for lowering trade costs and supporting manufacturing. Others are ensuring compliance with rules of origin, technical standards, and health standards to facilitate smoother cross-border trade, promoting investment in industrial parks and special economic zones, establishing platforms to disseminate information on AfCFTA opportunities to local businesses and gather feedback for national-level policy.
Oyo state has introduced a sub-national AfCFTA plan to improve SME export readiness.
According to Tlhaselo, the discussion between the state and AfCFTA officials centred on the 2026 Action Plan of the Oyo State Government on AfCFTA, following the allocation of funds to the AfCFTA in the 2026 Budget to drive the initiative and support the Oyo State AfCFTA Strategy rollout.
AfCFTA secretary-general, Wamkele Mene lauded Governor Makinde for exhibiting purposeful and visionary leadership, noting that the state stood out as one of the few governments with isolated budget for the AfCFTA rollout outside the budget of its ministry of trade.
So far, no Nigerian subnational has a dedicated, specific budgetary line items for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Mene added that Oyo State under Governor Makinde, has continued to demonstrate commendable commitment to AfCFTA, a development he said would greatly help the state’s AfCFTA implementation strategy and propel the state to economic success.
The meeting also discussed the action plan and collaborative engagements with the AfCFTA secretariat, with the secretary-general engaging with the state government on advancing AfCFTA implementation at the sub-national level and accelerating industrial development in the state.
Discussions also touched on strengthening Oyo as a manufacturing and trade hub by leveraging on special economic zones, and modernising trade systems through digital solutions, while also placing emphasis on attracting strategic investment, improving logistics and border efficiency, and linking local industries to continental value chains under the AfCFTA framework.
At the training-of-trainers workshop on AfCFTA implementation strategy in Ibadan, it sought to further dissect the strategy and key in economic players and government officials for an understanding of their role in the implementation and roll out. Trainers were encouraged to further train their colleagues and traders on the strategy so that the rollout becomes seamless.
The engagement also highlighted the growing importance of state-level leadership in delivering practical trade outcomes and transforming AfCFTA from policy into tangible economy opportunity — driving jobs, competitiveness, and deeper regional integration.
