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Afreximbank Seeks Digital Innovation to Unlock Nigeria’s Trade Potential

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The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) said digital transformation is critical to unlocking trade and investment potential under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Dr Yemi Kale, Group Chief Economist and Managing Director, Research, Afreximbank, stated this at an engagement event on “Unlocking Nigeria’s Trade and Investment Potential Through Digital Innovation and the Abuja Africa Trade Centre (AATC)” on Thursday in Abuja.

Kale said the AfCFTA had created the world’s largest new trading bloc, representing a unified market of over 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of more than 3.

4 trillion dollars.

“This integration goes beyond a symbolic milestone.

“It is a strategic platform capable of redefining how African economies produce, trade and compete in a rapidly changing global economy,” he said.

He noted that regional integration presented a once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand value chains, reduce dependence on primary commodities, accelerate industrialisation and strengthen Africa’s position in global markets.

Kale, however, expressed concern that intra-African trade still averages between 15 and 18 per cent, compared with 60 per cent in Europe and 40 per cent in Asia.

He identified market fragmentation, high logistics costs, gaps in trade data and cross-border payment challenges as factors limiting trade growth across the continent.

“If Africa must rise to its true economic stature, we must confront these obstacles with clarity, urgency and innovation.

“We must do so using one of the most powerful accelerators available to us and that is digital transformation.”

He explained that digital technologies such as end-to-end supply chain systems, automated customs services, e-commerce platforms, AI-driven market intelligence and digital payments were changing the structure of global trade.

Kale cited Rwanda’s digital single-window model and the growth of mobile money platforms as evidence of successful innovation

He noted that Afreximbank’s Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) was projected to save the continent billions in currency conversion costs.

According to him, digital innovation supports small and medium-sized businesses, including young entrepreneurs who can now access wider markets using online platforms.

He said that Nigeria’s large youth population gave the country a strategic advantage to lead Africa’s next phase of digitally-enabled trade.

“With 65 per cent of Nigeria’s population under 25, our young innovators are creating solutions, founding start-ups and shaping new industries.

“Strengthening skills, regulation, finance and collaboration will accelerate this impact,” he said.

He said Afreximbank was supporting this growth through the African Trade Gateway (ATG), trade intelligence services, and the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund among other initiatives.

“The ATG integrates trade information, due diligence, secure payments, and market insights, which are precisely the tools required for African businesses to compete effectively in an integrated continental market.

“It is, therefore, encouraging that Nigeria has taken a leadership role in advancing these priorities.”

Kale added that the Abuja Afreximbank Africa Trade Centre (AATC) represented the bank’s commitment to modernise trade by providing facilities that integrate information services, exhibition spaces, a business hotel and access to digital trade tools.

According to him, the centre is the first in a network of one-stop trade hubs being developed across Africa and the diaspora.

Kale said the AATC would help businesses access financing, partners, market intelligence, logistics support and technology services within a single space, reducing barriers and transaction costs.

“This building is more than a physical structure. It represents a catalytic platform for integration, innovation and investment,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to work together to drive digital transformation and build a continent where entrepreneurs can compete globally.

“This is not a distant dream. It is a future within our reach if we embrace innovation and collaboration,” he said.

Participants at the event were shown a live demonstration of Afreximbank’s Trade Intelligence Solutions- ATG and TRADAR and explored the role of AATCs in promoting trade and investment.

The event brought together financial institutions, trade organisations, investors and business owners.

BUSINESS

NNPC Posts N7.2trn Profit amid Revenue Decline

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) recorded N7.2 trillion Profit After Tax (PAT) in 2025, a 33 per cent increase from N5.4 trillion.

Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a media briefing after the company’s AGM and second Earnings Call.

Revenue declined to N34.

5 trillion from N45.1 trillion in 2024.

Ojulari attributed the 24 per cent revenue decline to lower crude oil prices and reduced product volumes following market deregulation.

He said earnings per share rose to N35.

90 from N27.07, while return on equity improved by 200 basis points to 16 per cent.

The company’s declared dividend increased by 35 per cent to N5.8 trillion, while taxes, royalties and other government remittances rose 39 per cent to N22.3 trillion.

 “Stronger earnings in spite of this pressure demonstrate the resilience of NNPC Limited’s operations,” Ojulari said.

He said profit grew because NNPC had improved its operations and maintained discipline across its businesses.

Ojulari said crude oil and condensate production reached a five-year peak of 1.77 million barrels per day.

He added that gas supply reached a three-year high of 7.2 billion standard cubic feet per day.

“Stronger performance gives NNPC Limited more capacity to invest, contribute to public revenue and strengthen Nigeria’s energy security,” he said.

On infrastructure, Ojulari said the mainline of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline had been completed.

He said work was ongoing on tie-ins to delivery points, beginning with Abuja, followed by Ajaokuta and Kaduna.

According to him, the next milestone is to commence gas flow through the pipeline to industries and power plants.

Ojulari said the company completed the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas pipeline in 2026 after several years of challenges.

On the refineries, he said prospective partners under NNPC’s technical equity partnership model had conducted a three-month onsite review.

He said more than 34 engineers participated in the review, adding that NNPC was now concluding the report.

Ojulari said the company was targeting self-sustaining and profitable refineries, with a pathway expected to be defined soon.

He reaffirmed NNPC’s target of producing two million barrels of crude oil daily by 2027 and three million barrels by 2030.

He said gas production targets were 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 and 12 billion by 2030.

“NNPC plans to mobilise over 60 billion dollars of investment across the energy value chain,” he added.

Ojulari said more than 1,000 newly recruited professionals joined NNPC in 2025 under its Talent to Value programme.

He said the recruits completed a one-year internship and training programme before being deployed across the company. (NAN)

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BUSINESS

FCCPC Calls for Improved Capacity Building on Competition Reporting, Matters

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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says there is a need for sustained capacity building in competition reporting and issues.

The Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Tunji Bello, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

Bello described competition matters as a relatively new area in the country adding that it required specialised knowledge among journalists, regulators and other stakeholders.

He said that competition law and consumer protection regulations had made stakeholders’ education a priority for the commission.

Bello said that the FCCPC recently supported the training of judges through the National Judicial Institute (NJI) to deepen understanding of competition-related matters.

He noted that members of the judiciary also required exposure to the nuances of the emerging field.

“We recognised that because it is a new terrain, the judges themselves are not familiar with the nuances.

”So we brought in experts on competition,” he said.

Bello stressed that the media had a critical role in promoting public understanding of competition and consumer protection issues.

“If FCCPC is becoming more known to the public, it is as a result of the kind of publicity you have given us,” he said. (NAN)

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BUSINESS

Fire Guts Customs Western Marine Command Office in Lagos

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Fire gutted the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Apapa, Lagos, on Monday, destroying property worth millions of Naira.

The fire, which reportedly started at about 10:23 a.m. from an electrical surge in the conference room, spread to other sections of the building.

Officers on duty made frantic efforts to contain the fire before officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at about 10:45 a.

m.

The Deputy Comptroller of Customs, Timothy Jonah, who just resumed at the Command, to take over the affairs from his predecessor, described the incident as unfortunate.

He said: “I just resumed duty to take over, only to witness this fire outbreak.

“Every challenge, though negative, is an opportunity to strengthen our operations.

“In the meantime, we will set up a committee to investigate the cause of the fire.”

He commended the swift response of the personnel on duty and their collaboration with the fire service, saying measures would be taken to strengthen safety protocols and prevent a recurrence. (NAN)

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