Vice President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria is strategically positioned to anchor a new era of intra-African trade and investment, leveraging its vast market, innovation capacity, and economic influence to lead the continent’s next phase of growth.
Speaking on his behalf at the
Conference on Intra-African Trade, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, described the initiative as part of a renewed continental vision to deepen economic integration and attract sustainable investment.
The event, convened by Woodhall Capital, ahead of investment roadshows in London, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, gathered governors, investors, development finance institutions, diplomats, and heads of key government agencies.
Vice President Shettima applauded Woodhall Capital’s “audacious and patriotic initiative” to mobilise global funding for both federal and state projects, calling it a model for translating potential into measurable opportunity.
Shettima said:“For too long, Africa’s trade narrative has been defined by what we extract and export to the Global North.
“Today, we must pivot and activate the vast untapped energy of intra-African trade. While trade within the EU and Asia stands at 65 and 60 percent respectively, Africa’s intra-continental trade remains below 17 percent. That must change.”
He added that this transformation would not be driven by Abuja alone, but by subnational entities capable of presenting credible, de-risked, and market-aligned projects to international investors.
Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, reaffirmed that subnationals hold the key to unlocking Africa’s next wave of industrial and trade growth.
He announced that the NGF, in partnership with Woodhall Capital and Afreximbank, has initiated a project pipeline that connects state-level opportunities with credible financiers.
Representing the Afreximbank President, Prof. Benedict Oramah, the Acting Regional Chief Operating Officer for Anglophone West Africa, Mr. Alain-Thierry Mbongue, hailed the conference as a turning point in Nigeria’s investment narrative.
He highlighted Afreximbank’s African Sub-Sovereign Government Network (AfSNET) as a platform that enables governors and regional leaders to exchange knowledge and access tailored financing tools.
He announced that the next AfSNET Investment Forum will be hosted in Cross River State in 2026.
President of Woodhall Capital, Mrs. Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu, praised President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, including forex liberalisation and capital market deepening, as catalysts for renewed investor confidence.
Hunponu-Wusu also announced that the NGF–Woodhall investor roadshows will provide Nigerian states with direct platforms to engage financiers in London, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.
Vice President Shettima reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to stabilising the naira, simplifying trade integration, and improving the business climate through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).
He added: “Capital follows confidence, and confidence follows governance. The capital is ready, the markets are ready, and the world is watching. This is Nigeria’s moment to redefine its place in Africa’s economic story, not as a participant, but as a leader.”
