Nigeria gazettes ECOWAS tariff to strengthen AfCFTA ahead of summit
By Kunle Sanni
Nigeria has officially gazetted and submitted the ECOWAS Schedule of Tariff Offers for Trade in Goods under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to the AfCFTA Secretariat—marking a major milestone in the country’s drive toward regional trade integration.
The move precedes the 16th AfCFTA Council of Ministers meeting, scheduled for April 15 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Signed by President Bola Tinubu, the ECOWAS Tariff Offer establishes zero duties on 90% of tariff lines, aimed at boosting Nigeria’s export competitiveness and expanding access to African markets.
This formal submission enables Nigeria to benefit from AfCFTA’s preferential trade regime, which seeks to increase intra-African trade and spur economic growth across the continent.
“This milestone enables Nigerian exporters to leverage preferential tariff access across African markets, positioning Nigeria as a key player in regional and global trade,” said Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, MFR, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment. “It underscores Nigeria’s commitment to using Africa’s single market for transformative economic growth.”
Under the phased tariff liberalization plan, Nigeria will reduce tariffs by 50% on goods traded with least-developed African countries by 2025—lowering them by 10% annually. For trade with more developed economies, a 100% tariff cut could be implemented at a 20% annual rate.
The gazetted tariff offer is expected to deliver key benefits such as:
Increased economic growth and job creation through lower trade barriers;
Enhanced competitiveness for Nigerian SMEs;
Strengthened regional integration, particularly within West Africa;
Greater attractiveness for foreign and intra-African investment.
While this marks a strong step forward, experts caution that challenges such as non-tariff barriers, limited productive capacity, and poor adherence to international standards must be tackled to fully unlock AfCFTA’s potential.
