No fewer than three million Nigerian business owners are set to benefit from a nationwide training programme on the Rules of Origin (RoO) under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Acting National Coordinator of the AfCFTA Nigeria Coordination Office, Dr. Olusegun Olutayo, has said.
Olutayo disclosed this in Abuja at the World Customs Organization (WCO)–National Training of Trainers Workshop on AfCFTA Rules of Origin, held in partnership with the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office.
He said the initiative was aimed at strengthening the capacity of Nigerian businesses to understand and effectively apply the technical requirements of the AfCFTA, particularly the Rules of Origin, which determine eligibility for preferential tariffs across African markets.
According to him, the programme will culminate in the launch of the “3M+RoO Initiative,” designed to equip over three million Nigerian businesses with practical knowledge to enhance competitiveness and expand trade opportunities across the continent.
“Understanding the Rules of Origin is not optional but essential for Nigerian businesses to qualify their goods and access the benefits of the AfCFTA. This initiative is about moving from policy to action and ensuring that businesses are not left behind,” Olutayo said.
He added that the programme aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in promoting economic growth, industrialisation, and job creation.
Olutayo also expressed appreciation to the World Customs Organization, the EU–WCO Rules of Origin Africa Programme, and the Nigeria Customs Service for their collaboration and technical support.
In her remarks, a representative of the World Customs Organization, Ms. Faith Mathenge, urged African businesses to take advantage of AfCFTA opportunities to expand their market reach and strengthen regional value chains.
She noted that intra-African trade currently accounts for about 16 per cent of total trade on the continent, compared to 68 per cent in Europe and 59 per cent in Asia, stressing the need to boost regional trade.
Mathenge said Nigeria, as one of Africa’s largest economies, had significant potential to drive intra-African trade growth and benefit from the continent’s $3.5 trillion market.
She emphasised that building private sector capacity in the application of Rules of Origin was critical to bridging the gap between Nigeria’s current export performance and its full potential.
Also speaking, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Strategic Research and Policy, Nafiu Isiyaku, reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to strengthening capacity and ensuring effective implementation of AfCFTA protocols.
He described Rules of Origin as a critical component of trade facilitation and economic integration, noting that proper application would promote transparency, safeguard trade preferences, and enhance regional competitiveness.
Adeniyi urged participants to actively engage in the workshop and apply the knowledge gained to improve operational efficiency and support Nigeria’s trade ecosystem.
The three-day workshop is expected to produce a pool of certified trainers who will cascade knowledge of Rules of Origin to stakeholders nationwide, thereby boosting Nigeria’s participation in intra-African trade.
