The Nigerian Government has has urged local and international investors to view the country not merely as a large consumer market, but as a strategic platform to expand digital trade across the African continent.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, made the call at the opening of the Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum in Abuja, where she outlined opportunities in digital infrastructure, services and cross-border trade.
Dr. Oduwole emphasised that modern trade has shifted beyond traditional physical infrastructure like ports and highways to depend heavily on fiber networks, data centers, cloud technology, and digital payment systems.
“Digital connectivity must increasingly be viewed not simply as a communication sector issue, but as an economic infrastructure issue,” Dr. Oduwole stated, underscoring the theme Unlocking Infrastructure Investment through Data Transparency and Partnerships.
She said Nigeria’s digital transformation was increasingly intertwined with its trade ambitions, particularly as African countries work towards implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Protocol on Digital Trade.
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According to her, the expansion of fiber networks, data centres, cloud services, digital payment systems and other digital infrastructure would be critical to enabling Nigerian businesses to sell services, receive payments and operate across African markets.
She said Nigeria had already begun translating its digital trade commitments into practical initiatives, including the mapping of Nigerian digital firms across 17 sectors to identify their capabilities, export potential and barriers to accessing African markets.
The minister also pointed to Nigerias participation in the African Digital Access and Public Infrastructure for Trade (ADAPT) initiative alongside Kenya and Morocco. The initiative is designed to support interoperability in digital identity, cross-border data exchange and payment systems.
Dr Oduwole said such systems could make cross-border transactions faster, safer and less costly for businesses.
She further disclosed that Nigeria had more than 25 data centres operational or under construction, describing the development asevidence of growing investor interest in the country’s digital infrastructure market.
However, she stressed that infrastructure investment must be supported by a predictablepolicy and regulatory environment.
“The private sector brings capital, technology, innovation, and operational expertise,” Oduwole said, adding that development partners, regulators and businesses also hadimportant roles to play in building a functional digital economy.
The Minister commended the House of Representatives Committee on Commerce for its efforts in domesticating the AfCFTA agreement and called on the private sector, regulators, and development partners to collaborate with the federal government.
Dr. Oduwole reaffirmed the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment’s commitment to providing policy predictability and an enabling regulatory environment to convert digital connectivity into productive economic capacity and sustainable growth.
