Nigeria must lead to unlock $3.4 trillion AfCFTA potential — Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that Nigeria must take the lead in unlocking the $3.4 trillion potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The President stated this during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair, themed: “Connecting Business, Creating Value”, emphasising that his administration was committed to stabilising the […]

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that Nigeria must take the lead in unlocking the $3.4 trillion potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The President stated this during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Lagos International Trade Fair, themed: “Connecting Business, Creating Value”, emphasising that his administration was committed to stabilising the national economy.

“The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the most ambitious economic project in modern Africa, creating a market of 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion. Nigeria must not only participate in it, we must lead it.

“We are moving purposefully from potential to productivity rebuilding the fundamentals of our economy, deepening investor confidence, and championing local industry, innovation, and trade,” he said.

Represented by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Enoh, the President underscored the importance of the private sector, describing it as the backbone of the Nigerian economy.

“To the private sector, large and small, you remain the backbone of this economy. You create over 90% of jobs, power our exports, and continue to invest, innovate, and employ even when conditions are challenging,” he said.

Tinubu urged traders and entrepreneurs to forge partnerships and networks that would expand the reach of Nigerian products  from textiles to technology, cocoa to creative arts across Africa and beyond.

 “Let this not only be a fair of products but a fair of possibilities not only a trade exhibition but a platform for partnerships, innovation, and industrial rebirth.

 “As you network, trade, and showcase your work, remember this: every product made in Nigeria is a statement of confidence; every partnership formed here is a step toward shared prosperity,” he said.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, assuring investors of returns on their investments.

The president of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Gabriel Idahosa, noted that the fair has become a vital platform for both state governments and federal agencies to showcase investment opportunities and impact-driven programmes.