President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday declared that Nigeria would intensify collaboration with other African countries to expand intra-African trade, boost value addition across the continent and position Africa to compete more confidently in the global economy through digital commerce. EITIValidation Support

The President said his administration would sustain reforms aimed at dismantling barriers to trade, modernising border processes and connecting African markets through technology, insisting that the future of commerce on the continent lies in digital integration.

Tinubu made the declaration in a message posted on his verified X handle, @officialABAT, welcoming African policymakers, innovators, investors, entrepreneurs and private sector leaders to Lagos for the 2026 African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Forum.

According to him, Africa has reached a decisive point where it must move beyond lofty declarations and begin translating continental agreements into tangible economic opportunities that improve the lives of its citizens.

“This year’s Forum, themed ‘Digital Trade for a Connected African Market,’ comes at a defining moment. Africa must now move from aspiration to execution, and from agreements on paper to prosperity in the lives of our people,” he said. NewspaperAd Service

The President noted that Nigeria was proud to serve as one of Africa’s AfCFTA Digital Trade Champions, stressing that the country was matching that responsibility with concrete policy actions designed to accelerate trade and economic integration.

He identified the National Single Window as a cornerstone of the administration’s trade facilitation agenda, explaining that the platform would create a faster, simpler and more transparent trading system by reducing delays, improving regulatory compliance, cutting transaction costs and supporting importers, exporters, manufacturers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

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Tinubu also spotlighted the Nigeria Customs Service’s B’Odogwu platform, saying it is modernising customs administration through improved revenue assurance, faster cargo clearance and reduced friction at Nigeria’s borders. He added that the reforms form part of a broader digital public infrastructure programme encompassing digital identity, interoperable payment systems, data governance and digital platforms that enable Nigerian businesses to access both African and international markets. EITIValidation Support

The President further disclosed that Nigeria, alongside Kenya and Morocco, is piloting the AfCFTA’s ADAPT framework to connect national trade systems across Africa, describing the initiative as a practical demonstration that the continent is shifting from policy commitments to real implementation.

“The AfCFTA gives Africa the market. Digital trade gives that market speed, scale and reach,” Tinubu said.

He expressed confidence that Africa’s economic future would be driven by digital trade, saying Nigeria would continue working with other African nations to build a continent that trades more within itself, creates greater value from its resources and competes with confidence in the global marketplace.

This version is more suitable for a front-page lead, with a stronger opening paragraph, a more news-driven structure, and tighter transitions while preserving all the substantive points from the President’s statement.