Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office

What Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office does

The Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office (NACO), formerly the National Action Committee on AfCFTA (NAC-AfCFTA), is a Nigerian government coordination body established by President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2019 under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment. Its mandate is to coordinate Nigeria's participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area across ministries, departments, agencies, and the private sector. The office serves Nigerian manufacturers and exporters, women and youth entrepreneurs, government MDAs, and state governments, with a combined addressable market of 54 AfCFTA member states representing $3.4 trillion in GDP and over 1.3 billion people.

The office delivers its mandate through a portfolio of trade facilitation and policy coordination activities. Its flagship operational offering is the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), a matchmaking framework that links Nigerian exporters with importers across interested state parties. Supporting products include the AfCFTA Draft Rules of Origin Manual, a Zoho-based trade readiness survey, and sensitization/validation workshops. Technical infrastructure for cross-border payments relies on the Pan-African Payment & Settlement System (PAPSS), while the Nigeria Customs Service acts as the Designated Competent Authority for certificate-of-origin issuance.

As a government entity, NACO does not generate commercial revenue and operates on federal appropriation. Its strategic value is measured in continental trade facilitation outcomes rather than financial returns: Nigeria launched its first GTI shipment in July 2024 reaching five countries, gazetted its provisional Schedule of Tariff Concessions, secured co-Champion status for Digital Trade, and partners with UNECA, UNDP, the AfCFTA Secretariat, and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.

Name

Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office

Legal name

Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office

Website

https://ngrafcfta.gov.ng

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office (NACO) is a Nigerian government body that coordinates Nigeria's participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area. It serves Nigerian exporters, MDAs, and state governments by facilitating trade, issuing certificates of origin, and operating the Guided Trade Initiative across 54 African member states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Trade Coordination Services

NAICS

International Affairs (92812)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAAAC

International Economic & Trade Cooperation Organizations

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Multilateral & Intergovernmental Organizations

SECONDARYBPADAAAB

Regional Intergovernmental Organizations

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Multilateral & Intergovernmental Organizations

SECONDARYTLAEAOAE

Rules of Origin & Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Management

Transportation & Logistics/Logistics Technology & Telematics (TMS/WMS, Tracking, ELD/IoT)/Customs, Trade Compliance & eDocumentation for Logistics

SECONDARYBPAIAIAG

Development Cooperation & Foreign Aid Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Foreign Affairs & Diplomatic Services

Keywords

• Trade facilitation services
• Continental free trade coordination
• Export market development
• Rules of origin advisory
• Trade policy coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Abuja

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office coordinates Nigeria's participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement. It serves as the central government body that aligns federal ministries, departments and agencies around AfCFTA implementation, facilitates issuance of certificates of origin for preferential trade, educates Nigerian businesses on continental market access, and supports exporters in meeting rules of origin and other AfCFTA requirements across 54 African member states.

Product overview

Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office is a government coordination body (not a commercial product company) that facilitates Nigeria's participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area. The office provides trade facilitation services through the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI), which matches businesses and products for export/import between African state parties. It also publishes regulatory resources including the AfCFTA Draft Rules of Origin Manual and offers assessment tools like the trade readiness survey to help Nigerian businesses prepare for continental trade.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) Coordination A solution-based trade facilitation program under the AfCFTA that maintains momentum towards continental trade integration by matchmaking businesses and products for export and import between state parties that have met the minimum requirements for trade under the agreement.
• AfCFTA Draft Rules of Origin Manual A regulatory publication that sets out guidelines on the operationalization of Annex 2 on Rules of Origin to accord tariff preferences to goods that meet origin rules and are traded between AfCFTA State Parties.
• AfCFTA Trade Readiness Survey A 10-minute online assessment tool that helps Nigerian businesses determine their readiness to trade through the Guided Trade Initiative under AfCFTA.
• Certificate of Origin Facilitation Coordination service that streamlines the issuance of certificates of origin for Nigerian exporters trading under AfCFTA, delivered through Nigeria Customs Service as the Designated Competent Authority.

Quantifiable outcome

• First AfCFTA shipment launched successfully to Kenya and other African countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNECA supported the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office in convening a two-day validation workshop in Lagos (December 10-11, 2024) to advance the participation and competitiveness of women and youth in trade under the AfCFTA.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP co-supported the validation workshop for women and youth strategy alongside UNECA, working to ensure that trade under AfCFTA benefits all segments of the population.
• Pan-African Payment & Settlement System (PAPSS)coreTechnology or IntegrationPAPSS is referenced as a key infrastructure partner for AfCFTA implementation, providing the payment and settlement system that enables cross-border transactions under the trade agreement.
• Dangote GroupcoreOthersDangote Group is Nigeria's largest industrial conglomerate and a major beneficiary of AfCFTA, projecting $12 billion in annual revenue from continental trade opportunities.
• Lucky Fibres Limited (Lush)flagshipOthersLucky Fibres Limited, a subsidiary of Tolaram Group, exported Nigeria's first AfCFTA shipment - synthetic filaments - under preferential trade terms to Kenya.
• Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNCS serves as the Designated Competent Authority (DCA) responsible for issuing certificates of origin and streamlining export cargo clearance under AfCFTA.
• Kenya AfCFTA Implementation CommitteeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kenya committee coordinated with Nigeria for the successful arrival of Nigeria's first AfCFTA shipment at Mombasa Port, exemplifying continental cooperation.
• AfCFTA SecretariatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe continental secretariat coordinates AfCFTA activities across all 54 member states, with Nigeria working closely on implementing the Guided Trade Initiative and rules of origin.
• Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAN organized the High-Level Roundtable Discussion on Industrialisation in Africa where AfCFTA opportunities were discussed, representing Nigerian manufacturers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• African Development Bank (AfDB): Continental development finance institution that funds AfCFTA-related infrastructure, trade corridors, and capacity-building programs. Comparable through shared mission of enabling African economic integration.
• United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA): UNECA is a core strategic partner of NACO, having co-supported the women and youth trade validation workshop. Operates a continental mandate on economic policy and trade integration that overlaps with NACO's remit.
• Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC): Nigeria's federal investment promotion agency where NACO's Acting National Coordinator previously served as Director of Legal Services. Operates a related mandate around investment policy and treaty negotiation, with direct leadership overlap.
• African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank): The continental trade finance institution supporting African trade under AfCFTA. Comparable in mission (facilitating intra-African trade) but operates as a financial institution rather than a coordination office.

Direct peers

• Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS): The continental payment infrastructure that enables cross-border settlement under AfCFTA. Listed as a key infrastructure partner on NACO's website and central to operationalizing the trade flows NACO coordinates.
• Kenya AfCFTA Implementation Committee: Kenya's national body that coordinated the successful arrival of Nigeria's first AfCFTA shipment at Mombasa Port. Operates the same country-level coordination mandate for Kenya as NACO does for Nigeria.
• AfCFTA Secretariat: The continental-level secretariat headquartered in Accra that coordinates AfCFTA implementation across all 54 member states. It is the direct counterpart and coordinating principal for the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office on continental matters.
• Ghana AfCFTA National Coordination Office: Ghana hosts the AfCFTA Secretariat and maintains its own national coordination structure. Comparable in mandate to NACO—facilitating national readiness, certificate of origin issuance, and exporter support for continental trade.

Others

• Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN): The industry association representing Nigerian manufacturers that organized the High-Level Roundtable on Industrialisation in Africa with NACO. Serves as the private-sector counterpart that channels exporter demand into NACO's coordination work.

Regional players

• ECOWAS Trade Commission: The regional economic community that oversees West African trade liberalization, of which Nigeria is a member. Operates a related but region-specific coordination and tariff harmonization mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afcfta-nigeria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office