By Sunday Ani
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, has called on Nigerian entrepreneurs to take advantage of the Biashara Africa Summit 2026 to lead on the continent.
Speaking at the summit, which serves as a premier platform that unites policymakers, business leaders, financial institutions and trade enablers to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Dr Oduwole, who is also the incoming Chair of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers, challenged African leaders and policymakers to move beyond commitments on paper and confront the real barriers limiting intra-African trade and investment.
She commended President Faure Gnassingbé and the government of Togo for taking decisive action to advance the spirit and objectives of the AfCFTA agreement and reinforce Africa’s commitment to becoming a truly integrated market of over 1.4 billion people.
As part of measures to support the transition from agreement to action, Oduwole announced the AfCFTA Startup Acceleration Programme 2026, a flagship initiative under the AfCFTA–Korea Africa Foundation partnership, designed to support 30 high-potential African startups to scale beyond Africa and access global markets, especially Korea.
“This programme,” she said, “Presents a valuable opportunity for Nigerian startups operating in key sectors, including fintech, e-commerce, logistics, agritech, manufacturing and digital platforms to strengthen their business models, expand internationally and position themselves for cross-border growth.
“The future of the AfCFTA will not be built by policy alone. It will be driven by enterprises, innovators, manufacturers, digital platforms and entrepreneurs who are ready to trade.”
As co-champion of digital trade under the AfCFTA, she, therefore, encouraged eligible Nigerian startups to apply and take advantage of the opportunity.
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