By Seun Ibiyemi
Industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and development partners have underscored the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in transforming the oil and gas sector and driving regional economic integration across the continent.
Speaking at the 2026 AfCFTA Summit hosted by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), and Legal Concierge, stakeholders highlighted the theme, “Unlocking Africa’s Energy Future through AfCFTA,” as a call to accelerate collaboration and build a competitive continental energy market.
The African Union conceived Agenda 2063, which birthed AfCFTA, with the overarching goal of fostering regional integration through trade, innovation, and the free movement of people and capital.
In Nigeria, the oil and gas industry embraced AfCFTA and developed a framework to domesticate the policy in 2022, anchored on three pillars opportunities identification, capacity development, and capacity exportation.
Stakeholders noted that Nigeria’s strengths include a formidable oilfield services supply chain, refining capacity, logistics infrastructure, gas pipelines, and a large pool of skilled technical workers.
They also emphasized that the country has expanded capabilities across the value chain through local content laws, covering marine vessel ownership, fabrication, assembly, and installation of production systems such as pressure vessels and pumps.
Participants described capacity exportation as the next frontier, raising critical questions on how Nigerian-made products can benefit from preferential trade terms across Africa and what compliance requirements producers must meet to satisfy rules of origin for exports.
Other issues discussed included the possibility of designating regional industrial hubs, creating unified work permits to enable cross-border deployment of skilled professionals, and leveraging AfCFTA’s 1.4 billion population and $3 trillion economy to shift Africa from fragmented markets to a globally competitive supply chain.
With expanded refining capacity from the Dangote Refinery, the development of continental gas pipelines, and the establishment of industrial parks, stakeholders called for additional support mechanisms to achieve energy security and self-sufficiency for Africa.
The summit is expected to mobilize regulators, project promoters, financial institutions, and academia to deepen intra-African trade, promote unified standards for professional qualifications and manufactured goods, expand technology development, and strengthen oversight on rules of origin certification.
Participants expressed optimism that deliberations from the gathering would provide actionable insights to guide the implementation of AfCFTA within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and advance shared regional prosperity.