By Chidiebele Obika | I-Witness News
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s trade and commerce sector have urged the Federal Government to adopt more effective policies to fully harness the benefits of Nigeria’s membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
The call was made on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, during the maiden International Centre for Regional Integration and Trade Research International Hybrid Conference and MSMEs Trade Exhibition held at the ASUU Secretariat, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Campus, Awka.
WTO Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, represented virtually by Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang, welcomed Nigeria and UNIZIK to the global network of WTO Chairs. She commended Nigeria’s active role since joining the WTO on January 1, 1995, and expressed confidence that the UNIZIK Chair would deepen trade policy research and promote economic diversification.
“It was a pleasure to meet Dr. Ngozi Egbuna in Geneva earlier this year. The Chair will create advanced opportunities for trade policy engagement in Nigeria and across Africa. I urge you to seize this advantage to connect with the WTO network and work towards unlocking economic growth,” she said.
Acting Vice-Chancellor of UNIZIK, Prof. Carol Arinze-Umehobi, represented by Prof. Uche Ufele-Obiesie, described the WTO Chairs Programme as a boost to trade-related academic activities. She noted that Prof. Egbuna had already initiated postgraduate programmes in foreign trade, including Nigeria’s first Master’s in International Trade Law and Practice.
Delivering the lead paper on 30 Years of Nigeria in the WTO: Issues, Challenges, and Prospects, former DG of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Prof. Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, highlighted both the opportunities and hurdles Nigeria has faced. He identified issues such as unfavorable WTO rules for developing countries, trade deficits, slow economic diversification, and barriers to digital trade.
He listed major challenges as poor infrastructure, governance gaps, insecurity, limited financing for businesses, and oil dependence. Looking ahead, he said Nigeria’s prospects lie in diversifying into manufacturing, agriculture, and technology; developing a robust digital economy; improving governance; strengthening regional trade within ECOWAS; and engaging in WTO reforms.
Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Abraham Nwankwo, former DG of the Debt Management Office, said the conference was timely given Nigeria’s economic realities. He praised the integration of the MSMEs exhibition, describing it as evidence of the Chair’s commitment to its mandate.
In her welcome address, Prof. Ngozi Eunice Egbuna, Nigeria’s WTO Chair and Director of the Centre, likened AfCFTA to a “logistical odyssey” spanning Cairo to Cape Town, Dakar to Dar es Salaam, and Abuja to Algiers. She acknowledged ongoing hurdles such as patchy infrastructure, stubborn tariffs, and wavering political will, while posing critical questions about Nigeria’s gains in the WTO over the past 30 years.
Highlights of the event included a musical performance by UNIZIK’s Music Department and awards to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, Founder of United Nigeria Airlines; and Prof. Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan.
Attendees included Prof. Segun Sogbeson (Director, Onitsha Business School), Prof. Uche Ebeze, Associate Prof. Uche Ekwugha (Deputy Director, ICRITR), Prof. Frank-Collins Okafor (University Orator), Prof. Uju Ezenekwe, Prof. Amaka Eze, Prof. Uche Lucy Onyekwelu (President, Social Sciences and Management Researchers), Dr. Godwin Akporere, Prof. Ify Dunu (Director, UNIZIK FM), Prof. Cornelius Ukwueze, Dr. Ekene Okafor, Hon. Bridget Obi (former Anambra Commissioner for Women Affairs), Prof. Tony Edum, Prof. Mike Chidebe, and Prof. Jaja Nwannegbo of the Institute for Peace, Security and Development, among others.
From Left: Prof. Ngozi Egbuna, WTO Chair for Nigeria and Director of the International Center for Regional Integration and Trade Research (Host); Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi, Vice Chancellor of NAU (Chief Host); and Prof. Muhammad Ladan of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (Lead Paper Presenter).
