In this interview, Professor Jude Osakwe, Continental Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO) Africa, highlights the rapidly shifting global trade landscape and the renewed focus on intra-African trade. This necessitates convening the Regional Trade Conference — ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ — in Dakar, Senegal, from 24–28 November 2025.

Professor Osakwe underlined a key message: while multilateral trade frameworks are increasingly fragmented, this development presents a strong opportunity to strengthen the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Consequently, Nigeria’s NIDO-Africa “Made-in-Nigeria” initiative aims to advance the country’s trade aspirations within the framework of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.  Below are excerpts from the interview. Here are the interview excerpts: 

Q: In the context of geopolitical shift, how would you characterize and argue that the forthcoming event ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ is an integral aspect of Intra-Africa trade policy under the African Union?

Professor Jude Osakwe:The ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ event represents a critical convergence of continental trade ambitions and national industrial capacity at a pivotal moment in global economic realignment. As multilateral trade frameworks face increasing fragmentation and regional blocs strengthen, Africa’s response through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) signals our determination to chart an independent economic trajectory.

Nigeria, as Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, occupies a unique position in this continental project. The ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ initiative directly advances the AU’s Agenda 2063 objectives by showcasing indigenous manufacturing capacity, promoting value addition within the continent, and demonstrating that intra-African trade can be anchored in substantive productive capabilities rather than merely raw material exchange.

This event specifically addresses a fundamental challenge in African integration: the current reality that intra-African trade represents only approximately 15-18% of the continent’s total trade, significantly lower than other regions. By highlighting Nigerian-manufactured products, from processed foods and pharmaceuticals to technology solutions and creative industries, we are providing tangible evidence that African nations can serve as both producers and consumers within a genuinely integrated market. This isn’t theoretical policy; it’s operational implementation of the AfCFTA’s vision.

Q: Under NIDO-Africa leadership, what are the expectations during this event? Despite the fact that it is focused on intra-Africa, are foreign traders and importers your targets, as a priority of raising the level of economic cooperation with Nigeria?

Osakwe:NIDO-Africa’s leadership brings a distinctive diaspora perspective, we understand both African productive capacity and global market demands, having operated at this intersection throughout our professional lives. Our expectations for this event are strategically layered.

Primarily, we’re facilitating meaningful intra-African commercial connections. This means bringing together procurement officers from African governments, regional distributors, retail chains, and manufacturing firms who can establish long-term supply relationships with Nigerian producers. The goal is to create sustainable trade corridors, not one-off transactions.

However, your question touches on an important strategic dimension: foreign traders and importers are indeed significant targets, though we’d characterize them as complementary rather than competing priorities. Nigeria’s economic growth requires both expanded African market access AND continued global trade partnerships. Foreign importers, particularly from the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, serve multiple strategic purposes:

* They bring capital, technology transfer, and global best practices

* They can establish joint ventures that enhance Nigerian productive capacity

* They provide access to markets beyond Africa’s current absorption capacity

* Their participation validates the quality and competitiveness of Nigerian products

The sophistication of our approach is precisely that we’re not presenting this as an either/or proposition. We’re positioning Nigeria as a continental manufacturing hub that serves African markets while maintaining robust global trade relationships. Foreign traders who engage now gain preferred access to Africa’s 1.3 billion-person market through a Nigerian gateway.

Q: Can you give an assessment and significance of the current........

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