Nigeria Gazettes ECOWAS Tariff Schedule, Finally Commits to AfCFTA Trade as Continent Eyes $450 Billion Boost

Nigeria has officially gazetted and transmitted its ECOWAS Schedule of Tariff Offers for Trade in Goods under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a long-overdue but crucial step toward unlocking its participation in what is being touted as the world’s largest free trade zone.

Signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and transmitted to the AfCFTA Secretariat just days before the 16th Council of Ministers Meeting on Trade scheduled for April 15 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, the move clears a critical bottleneck and sends a clear message that Nigeria is now ready to engage fully under the bloc’s preferential trade framework.

It marks the first formal action by Nigeria that sets the country on track to implement zero duties on 90 percent of its tariff lines, a requirement under AfCFTA rules. The gazette removes any ambiguity about Nigeria’s intentions and offers its exporters a direct path to compete more favorably in a market that spans 54 countries and over 1.3 billion people.

The African Continental Free Trade Area is an ambitious continental initiative aimed at creating a single market for goods and services, facilitating capital and people movement, and laying the foundation for a continental customs union. It officially came into force in January 2021 and is a flagship project under the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Its primary goal is to eliminate trade barriers, reduce tariffs, and deepen economic integration across Africa. The agreement seeks to increase intra-African trade by over 50 percent by 2030, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Estimates from the World Bank project that AfCFTA could boost Africa’s income by $450 billion by 2035 and lift more than 30 million people out of extreme poverty. It could also raise wages by nearly 10 percent and help harmonize trade regulations across the continent—an important shift in a region often crippled by fragmented markets and red tape.

But while AfCFTA was launched with considerable fanfare, implementation has been uneven. Nigeria, despite being Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, has been among the most sluggish to commit.

Nigeria ratified the AfCFTA agreement in December 2020, months after most African countries had signed on. Even after ratification, the country stalled on submitting its tariff offers—a requirement for trading under the bloc’s preferential rules. It wasn’t until July 2024 that Nigeria flagged off its first shipment under AfCFTA, a symbolic export more than a structured trade flow.

Critics say Nigeria’s hesitancy is rooted in internal contradictions: a stated desire to lead African economic integration, countered by protectionist instincts and domestic inefficiencies. Successive governments have expressed concern that fully liberalizing trade could expose local industries—particularly manufacturing and agriculture—to intense competition from more productive African economies like Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa.

This delay has cost Nigerian exporters valuable first-mover advantages. While smaller economies like Ghana, Rwanda, and even Togo have actively participated in AfCFTA’s guided trade initiative and pilot shipments, Nigeria’s exporters have remained in limbo—unable to take advantage of the bloc’s tariff-free benefits.

That appears to be changing. The gazetted schedule, now officially transmitted, unlocks the legal framework needed for Nigerian businesses to begin benefiting from AfCFTA’s incentives.

Under the agreement, Nigeria has committed to a phased tariff reduction plan. For trade with Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Nigeria will reduce tariffs on 90 percent of goods by 50 percent by 2025, with 10 percent reductions each year. For countries not classified as LDCs, Nigeria has opted for full tariff elimination beginning immediately, with a 20 percent reduction applied annually.

This phased liberalization is designed to protect local industries while also signaling long-term openness to continental trade. It also aligns with the African Union’s directive from the 35th Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government in 2022, which encouraged member states to begin trading while finalizing schedules.

The expected economic benefits are immense. The removal of tariffs across 90 percent of goods opens up unprecedented opportunities for Nigerian producers, from agro-processing to textiles, machinery, and pharmaceuticals. Experts say the move could accelerate industrialization and boost non-oil exports, which have been for long a weak link in Nigeria’s economic framework. It could also help diversify revenue and reduce dependence on crude oil, which still accounts for over 85 percent of Nigeria’s export earnings.

The policy shift is expected to stimulate small and medium-sized enterprise growth, as reduced costs of entry improve the chances of regional expansion. Increased exports and higher investor confidence may also create jobs across manufacturing, logistics, and services. As Nigeria begins to shift from a consumption-heavy economy to a production-based model, there is hope that the country will finally begin addressing its structural trade deficits. Full participation in AfCFTA further enhances Nigeria’s ability to influence regional economic policy and shape the bloc’s regulatory frameworks from within.

Nigeria is also positioning itself as a champion of digital trade within AfCFTA. In February 2025, President Tinubu was praised for his leadership in advancing the bloc’s digital trade agenda, a key pillar in modernizing African commerce. As a co-chair of AfCFTA’s Digital Trade Initiative, Nigeria is helping to develop frameworks for cross-border e-commerce, digital payments, and data protection—areas that could lower transaction costs and enable young, tech-savvy entrepreneurs to break into regional markets.

The government has also hinted at rolling out a digital AfCFTA window through the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to help businesses navigate customs documentation, product standards, and logistics across member states.

While the gazette signals progress, questions remain over whether Nigeria can overcome its bureaucratic inertia, port congestion, forex instability, and inconsistent trade policy that have historically undermined its regional competitiveness. The Tinubu administration appears keen to rewrite that narrative, though results will depend on execution. As the continent’s economic giant, Nigeria’s full buy-in is not just symbolic—it’s pivotal. A vibrant AfCFTA without Nigeria is incomplete. A proactive Nigeria is expected to turn the trade pact into a genuine economic revolution.