The 2026 edition of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Summit commenced in Lagos on Monday, bringing together regulatory agencies, project promoters, and financial institutions to advance strategies for deepening intra-African trade and strengthening continental economic integration.
Discussions at the summit are focused on key priorities, including the development of a unified code of standards for professional qualifications and manufactured goods, as well as the expansion of Africa’s technological development and innovation ecosystem. Participants are also examining pathways for transforming Africa’s vast market of 1.4 billion people and a combined economy valued at $3.4 trillion into a globally competitive and integrated supply chain system.
Among the critical issues under consideration are how Africa can leverage its abundant mineral resources—such as copper, iron ore, and petrochemicals—for domestic manufacturing of industrial hardware, including oil and gas equipment like Christmas trees. The summit is also exploring the possibility of designating specialised industrial hubs across the continent, such as positioning Tema Shipyard in Ghana as a centre for vessel construction, assembly, and repairs for Africa.
Other deliberations include how cables manufactured in Nigeria could benefit from favourable trade terms in markets such as Angola, and the compliance requirements Nigerian manufacturers, including sacrificial anode producers, must meet under AfCFTA’s rules of origin to export products to countries like Algeria. Broader energy security questions are also being addressed, including the role of expanded refining capacity, continental gas transmission pipelines, industrial parks, and other enabling infrastructure.
In a keynote address, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by the Director of Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, disclosed that Nigeria’s oil and gas industry embraced AfCFTA early and developed a framework for domesticating the policy in 2022.
According to Engr. Ogbe, the implementation of AfCFTA in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is anchored on three core pillars: Opportunities Identification, Capacity Development, and Capacity Exportation. He noted that Nigeria’s competitive advantage lies in its robust oil and gas supply chain, refining capacity, oilfield logistics bases, gas pipeline network, and a large pool of skilled technical manpower.
On capacity development, he explained that the local content policy has enabled the industry to build strong capabilities across the oil and gas value chain, including marine vessel ownership, fabrication, assembly, and installation of production systems such as Christmas trees, pressure vessels, pumps, and related equipment.
However, Engr. Ogbe described capacity exportation as “the next frontier and the reason for convening the Summit.” He proposed the adoption of a unified work permit and visa regime that would allow skilled professionals to work seamlessly across African borders, citing the example of a welder from Senegal being engaged in engineering works in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Highlighting the broader benefits of continental integration, he stressed that strong regional supply chains would reposition Africa from a raw material exporter to a producer of high-value manufactured goods. He identified regional value chains, infrastructure connectivity, regulatory harmonisation, industrial clusters, and the inclusion of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) as critical pathways to achieving this goal.
Engr. Ogbe assured participants and industry stakeholders of the NCDMB’s continued support in driving AfCFTA implementation and fostering sustainable industrial growth across Africa.
