By Awwal Umar Kontagora The African Union (AU) has endorsed Nigeria as the Digital Trade Champion for the continent under the Af...
The African Union (AU) has endorsed Nigeria as the Digital Trade Champion for the continent under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Protocol. This recognition follows the Nigerian government's impressive track record in promoting digital enterprise and innovation.
The endorsement was announced at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which concluded on Sunday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The summit acknowledged Nigeria’s proactive role in advancing the implementation of the Digital Trade Protocol, adopted in February 2024.
The protocol outlines a framework for developing eight annexes that cover key areas, including rules of origin, digital identities, cross-border data transfers, legitimate and legal public interest disclosures of source code, online safety and security, emerging and advanced technologies, and financial technology.
In his annual report on the progress of AfCFTA’s digital trade protocol, former President of Niger and AU AfCFTA Champion Mahamadou Issoufou praised Nigeria’s leadership, particularly for organizing the Digital Economy Roundtable in January. He described the gathering as a pivotal moment in accelerating Africa’s digital trade agenda.
"No organization, region, or continent has negotiated or adopted such a comprehensive legal instrument on digital trade. This positions Africa to benefit immensely from the digital economy in terms of innovation and job creation," Issoufou stated.
He also highlighted that young Africans are at the forefront of digital innovation, especially in mobile banking and other digitally enabled services.
"The AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade will establish a conducive environment for these young people to fully participate in Africa’s digital economy," he added.
Reflecting on the Digital Economy Roundtable in Abuja, Issoufou commended President Bola Tinubu and his administration for convening the event and inviting the AfCFTA Secretariat to participate.
"The Roundtable was attended by young pioneers in fintech, mobile banking, and other digital economy sectors. The discussions clearly demonstrated that young people are eager to take advantage of Africa's digital economy through the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade," Issoufou noted in his progress report to the 38th Assembly.
Commenting on the significance of the AU’s endorsement of Nigeria, the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, told the summit:
*"Africa has demonstrated global leadership by pioneering the first-of-its-kind AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade—establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework.
"The Assembly of Heads of State and Government has officially designated Nigeria as the AfCFTA Digital Trade Champion. The AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol is a game-changer in advancing Africa’s economic development. It is set to create millions of jobs for Africa’s growing, tech-savvy youth, contribute billions to the continent’s GDP, and attract substantial investments in public digital infrastructure across African nations."
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