…. .partners UNDP, Uganda Airlines
The Federal Government, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has launched the Nigeria East-Southern Africa Market Intelligence Tool. Alongside a logistics partnership with Uganda Airlines.
The platform is designed to equip Nigerian exporters with data-driven insights to navigate and access new markets across Eastern and Southern Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Speaking at the launch event on Monday, in Abuja, Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, described the tool as more than just a publication but a decisive step in Nigeria’s journey towards becoming a diversified, industrialised powerhouse, one poised to shape Africa’s economic future.
“We are unlocking access to a $3.4 trillion African market, and we are doing so with deliberate pace and purpose. This market intelligence tool, co-created with UNDP, is a working document, a business resource that gives exporters the insights they need to make real-time decisions.
“It covers key markets in Eastern and Southern Africa with practical, sector-specific insights, regulatory requirements so businesses can meet import standards and avoid costly delays, trade trends in high-potential sectors such as agriculture, cosmetics, and textiles,”
Co-developed by FMITI and UNDP, the intelligence tool offers sector-specific insights, trade trends, equips Nigerian MSMEs with data on tariffs, trade flows, market trends, entry requirements, and buyer profiles across 13 African countries, focusing on high-growth sectors including agribusiness, cosmetics, and textiles.
According to the minister, the launch underscores Nigeria’s renewed commitment to regional integration and export diversification, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s eight-point Renewed Hope Agenda. The initiative also follows the recent gazetting of Nigeria’s provisional schedule of tariff concessions under AfCFTA, signalling the country’s readiness to trade under preferential terms with other African nations.
Oduwole highlighted that while Nigeria has the capacity to meet regional demand, current export figures reveal underperformance with agricultural exports to East and Southern Africa at $180 million in 2024, despite demand exceeding $3 billion.
“For instance, Nigeria’s agricultural exports to these regions stood at just $180 million in 2024, despite regional demand exceeding $3 billion. In cosmetics, Nigeria is home to over 250 indigenous brands, yet our market penetration into Eastern and Southern Africa remains below 5%. And in textiles, once a continental leader, Nigeria’s exports are dropped by demand in Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda markets that are increasingly turning to Asia for products we can and should be supplying,”
The launch was accompanied by the announcement of a formalised partnership between Uganda Airlines and the various Nigerian Business Associations, ensuring full utilisation of a new air cargo corridor linking Nigeria to 13 key destinations across East and Southern Africa. The corridor, backed by UNDP, offers exporters regular flight schedules, subsidised rates, and guaranteed delivery timelines, cutting trade costs and risks while boosting competitiveness.
Oduwole outlined a three-point trade expansion strategy comprising infrastructure development, increased productive capacity, and a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s AfCFTA implementation. She also stated that the Ministry is investing in agro-processing zones in Kano, Abia, and Cross River, while also pushing for export digitisation and customs modernisation to reduce transaction times and costs.
She explained that with this initiative, the Federal Government aims to shift Nigeria’s export structure from raw and semi-processed goods toward higher-value finished products. “We are not just launching a tool. We are launching a signal that Nigeria is serious about trade, ready for business, and prepared to lead Africa’s economic transformation,” Oduwole said
The Minister called on private sector stakeholders, development partners, and international investors to collaborate with the government in building sustainable value chains and accelerating industrial growth across the continent.
