The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has called on the Nigerian Government and private sector to adopt a coordinated strategy to maximise the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through December 2028.
The Chamber described the extension as a strategic opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s export competitiveness, diversify the economy, create jobs and expand non-oil exports.
The ACCI President, Dr Emeka Obegolu, made the call in a policy statement titled, “From AGOA Opportunity to Sustainable Export Competitiveness.”
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Obegolu said Nigeria must use the 2026–2028 period to address longstanding challenges limiting the country’s utilisation of AGOA.
He identified inadequate market intelligence, product quality and certification, regulatory compliance, packaging, production capacity, financing, aggregation, logistics and value addition among the challenges requiring urgent attention.
ACCI urged Nigeria to move decisively from exporting raw commodities to processing, packaging, branding and value addition.
It identified shea butter, cashew, ginger, hibiscus, sesame and sesame oil, textiles and apparel, processed agricultural products, selected solid-mineral products and creative-industry products as areas with export potential.
The Chamber stressed that greater domestic processing would retain more value in Nigeria, stimulate industrial development and create employment.
It also called for stronger support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and small-scale exporters, “many of whom have exportable products but lack adequate production volumes, financing, warehousing and logistics capacity.”
Open Access Export Programme
The Chamber said it would promote an open-access export enablement programme to provide practical export information, compliance support, market intelligence, buyer linkages and aggregation opportunities.
It added that “the programme would facilitate business-to-business engagements, trade missions, reverse trade missions and direct connections between Nigerian exporters and U.S. buyers.”
The Chamber further called on the Nigerian Government and relevant agencies to urgently address policy and infrastructure bottlenecks affecting export competitiveness.
It identified faster and digitally enabled Certificates of Origin, targeted duty relief on export-oriented machinery and packaging equipment, improved electricity supply, lower inland logistics costs, simplified export documentation and an effective single-window system as key areas requiring attention.
Obegolu stressed that Nigeria’s export strategy must go beyond the lifespan of AGOA, urging businesses to build sustainable competitiveness through quality, certification, innovation, ethical sourcing, branding, technology, productivity and value addition.
He also noted that capabilities developed through AGOA should position Nigerian businesses to expand into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other international markets.
Reaffirming ACCI’s commitment to working with the Nigerian Government, private sector, financial institutions, development partners, export-support agencies and regulatory institutions, Obegolu stressed that the AGOA extension must not become another missed opportunity for Nigeria.
