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Afreximbank Taps Nigeria to Lead Africa’s Digital Trade Revolution
Yemi Kale, Afreximbank’s Group Chief Economist, yesterday said that Nigeria is positioned to drive Africa’s transition into a digitally enabled trade ecosystem, arguing that the country’s demographic strength and emerging innovation hubs give it a competitive edge as the continent reshapes its economic future under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday at Afreximbank’s high-level forum on trade intelligence and digital innovation, themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s Trade and Investment Potential Through Digital Innovation and the Abuja AATC”, Kale said Africa is “at a defining inflection point” that will determine whether it reacts to global economic shifts or helps shape them.
He noted that the AfCFTA’s unified market—covering more than 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion—offers countries like Nigeria a historic opening to boost industrialisation and deepen regional value chains. “The AfCFTA presents a unique once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand and strengthen regional value chains,” Kale said.
He added that deeper integration will help African economies diversify away from primary commodities and build resilience against external shocks, long-standing vulnerabilities that have limited growth across the continent.
Kale said digital transformation is now the most powerful lever to unlock the AfCFTA’s potential, as African economies still face fragmented markets, high logistics costs, weak trade data systems and cross-border payment frictions.
He argued that digital tools—from automated customs processing to e-commerce platforms and blockchain-enabled documentation—could sharply cut transaction costs and improve market access for Nigerian firms.
“Digital innovation is therefore not just the engine of trade—it is the new highway on which African commerce will travel,” he said. “Those who build and use this highway early will lead tomorrow’s markets.”
He cited Rwanda’s digital single-window system, which cut export processing times by more than 90%, and Africa’s mobile-money infrastructure, which handles more than $800 billion annually, as examples of what digital trade systems can deliver at scale.
Kale also highlighted the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), which enables cross-border payments in local currencies and is expected to save African businesses billions in conversion costs.
He illustrated the transformative impact of digital tools with the story of a young leather-goods exporter from Kano who turned a small operation into a cross-continental business after adopting digital trade platforms and digital payments. “Her success is a clear example of how digital innovation can turn local ambition into continental and global opportunity,” he said.
Nigeria, he added, has the natural ingredients to lead Africa’s digital trade surge, including a young population, a fast-growing technology sector, and entrepreneurs who are already building products for global markets.
“We are a nation of entrepreneurs, creators and problem-solvers, and our demographic advantage is unmatched,” Kale said.
With 65% of Nigerians under age 25, he said the country’s youth “are founding technology start-ups, writing software code, designing digital solutions, and shaping entirely new industries.”
Afreximbank, he disclosed, intends to play a catalytic role by financing trade and investment, strengthening regional value chains and rolling out digital infrastructure through the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG).
The Gateway integrates trade information, due-diligence tools, market insights and secure payment systems—capabilities he described as essential for businesses aiming to scale across Africa.
Kale said Nigeria’s leadership is already evident with the launch of the Abuja Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC), which he described as both a strategic asset and symbolic commitment to modernising Africa’s trade architecture.
The centre combines conference facilities, SME incubation hubs, trade-information services and access to the ATG under one roof, and is the first in a planned network of one-stop trade centres across Africa and the diaspora.
Urging policymakers and private-sector leaders to seize the moment, Kale stressed, “If we commit to digital transformation, to collaboration, and to bold, forward-looking action, then Africa will not only participate in the global economy—we will shape it.”
He further argued that a digitally integrated continent would unlock new opportunities for farmers, creatives, SMEs and young innovators. “This is not a distant dream,” he said. “It is a future within our reach.”
Patience Okala, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office has urged African countries to stop exporting raw materials and instead focus on adding value to its natural resources if it is to fully harness the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
She stated this on Thursday at the Streamsowers & Köhn 20th Anniversary Business Forum, where she stressed that value addition and beneficiation are essential to Africa’s industrialisation and long-term economic growth.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, she said the AfCFTA goes beyond the elimination of tariffs, serving as a framework for industrialisation, value addition, and job creation across the continent.
“AfCFTA is not only about tariffs; it is also about value addition. Africa has to stop exporting raw materials. We need to add value and ensure that beneficiation is done on the continent,” she said.
Okala also said Africa’s economic transformation would depend on the effective implementation of the AfCFTA rather than on the signing of trade agreements alone.
“We have moved beyond negotiations. The success of AfCFTA will be measured by the extent to which businesses can access new markets, trade seamlessly across borders, and benefit from the opportunities created by the agreement,” she said.
She noted that Nigeria had intensified efforts to implement the agreement under the leadership of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, including the development of simplified AfCFTA guides in six languages to help businesses understand and take advantage of opportunities under the trade pact.
Okala called for stronger collaboration among governments, regulators, and the private sector to eliminate barriers to trade and investment and build a truly integrated African market.
“As we move from policy to implementation, our collective responsibility is to ensure that the opportunities created by AfCFTA become practical realities for businesses, particularly MSMEs, women-owned enterprises, and young entrepreneurs across the continent,” she said.
Cisco is exploring artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions to support smallholder farmers in Nigeria, as part of efforts to expand digital inclusion and technology adoption.
The initiative focuses on improving agricultural productivity through accessible, data-driven tools.
The move aligns with growing collaboration between Nigeria and the United States under the Commercial and Investment Partnership, which prioritises the digital economy, agriculture and infrastructure.
Speaking at the 2026 World Business Chicago, Brian Tippens, chief social impact and inclusion Officer at Cisco, said the company is assessing practical AI applications to help farmers combine local knowledge with data insights.
He said Cisco is exploring tools such as AI-enabled WhatsApp communities, geospatial mapping and weather intelligence to support day-to-day farming decisions.
The approach reflects a shift towards low-cost, mobile-first solutions suited to rural environments.
Tippens added that the Cisco Foundation is investing in early-stage startups developing technologies for local agricultural challenges.
Industry analysts note that AI adoption in emerging markets depends on locally relevant solutions, rather than large-scale enterprise deployments alone.
Beyond agriculture, Cisco plans to expand digital skills development in Nigeria through programmes such as the Cisco Networking Academy’s One Million Learners initiative.
Tippens said the programme also supports partnerships with organisations working with persons with disabilities, including those developing tools for people with visual impairments.
He added that Cisco’s social impact strategy aims to improve access to technology and promote inclusion, including in conflict-affected regions such as Borno State.
Cisco’s initiatives form part of broader efforts to link digital skills, connectivity and AI adoption to economic development in Nigeria.
Federal Government has launched a nationwide Artificial Intelligence (AI) capacity-building programme for teachers in Federal Unity Colleges, with about 11,700 educators set to acquire digital skills aimed at improving classroom instruction and preparing students for a technology-driven future.
The initiative advanced with the signing of the Terms of Reference (ToR) between the Federal Ministry of Education and ICEDT Consult Limited, paving the way for the nationwide implementation of the AI Teacher Capacity Development Programme.
The programme, to be implemented through the ministry’s Education Support Services Department, is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s education sector, strengthen teacher professionalism and equip students with skills required in the digital economy under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Abuja, the Director of the Education Support Services Department, Gabriel Amudipe, described the initiative as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s teaching workforce and the future of education.
He said the nationwide rollout followed the successful completion of a pilot phase conducted in selected Federal Unity Colleges.
According to him, the implementation model developed by ICEDT Consult Limited will ensure effective coordination and quality delivery of the programme across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Amudipe urged officials responsible for monitoring the project to ensure strict compliance with the implementation guidelines and maintain the standards achieved during the pilot phase.
“The ministry remains committed to supporting innovative initiatives that strengthen teacher professionalism, improve learning outcomes and promote the responsible integration of emerging technologies into education,” he said.
Earlier, the Deputy Director of the Education Support Services Department, Oladele Fapohunda, described the programme as a strategic intervention designed to deepen digital innovation across Federal Unity Colleges.
He stressed that collaboration among all stakeholders would be essential to achieving the objectives of the initiative nationwide.
Also speaking, the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Learning Scientist at ICEDT Consult Limited, Dr Abdulrahman Orosanya, said the Federal Government approved the national rollout after the successful pilot implementation in six Federal Unity Colleges representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
According to Orosanya, the pilot demonstrated the potential of Artificial Intelligence to improve lesson planning, classroom delivery, assessment methods and teachers’ productivity.
He said the nationwide implementation would strengthen teachers’ digital competencies, improve instructional delivery and support the government’s vision of building a technology-driven education system capable of producing globally competitive graduates equipped with 21st-century skills.
The ceremony ended with the formal signing of the Terms of Reference by officials of the Federal Ministry of Education and ICEDT Consult Limited, signalling the commencement of preparations for full implementation across all Federal Unity Colleges.
The ministry said the programme would directly train about 11,700 teachers, while thousands of students across the country’s Federal Unity Colleges are expected to benefit through improved classroom instruction, increased digital innovation and the responsible application of Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning.
It reaffirmed its commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to modernise Nigeria’s education system, improve teacher quality and deliver inclusive, equitable and future-ready education nationwide.
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