NACCIMA partners Germany to facilitate cross-border trades

National Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) have partnered to strengthen regional integration, facilitate cross-border agricultural trade, and expand opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The partnership was announced in Lagos, over the weekend, during the launch of NACCIMA’s activities under the ‘ECOWAS Agricultural Trade (EAT) Project,with the theme: “Strengthening ECOWAs Agricultural Market to Drive Food Security and Regional Prosperity.”

Speaking at the event, NACCIMA President, Engr. Jani Ibrahim, said agriculture continues to play a critical role in Nigeria’s economy, noting that in Q4 2024, the sector contributed about 24.64 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He, however, said with the recent GDP rebasing, the share of agriculture in national output has risen, with early 2025 estimates showing about 27.8 per cent rise.  He, however said despite its huge role in the economy, Nigeria’s agricultural exports remain modest.

The NACCIMA chief said it is against this backdrop that the EAT Project and NACCIMA’s role take on special relevance. He said for NACCIMA, this initiative aligns perfectly with the association’s mandate to empower the private sector, promote enabling policies, and strengthen export competitiveness.

He explained: “Through this project, we intend to address longstanding bottlenecks that hinder trade through the capacity building of traders and SMEs within the agribusiness value chain, enabling them to meet requirements for regional markets.

 “By unlocking the potential of regional agricultural trade, we are not just moving goods; we are unlocking livelihoods, creating value, deepening regional economic integration, and contributing to food security for millions across West Africa.

 “The opportunities are enormous, with Nigeria’s burgeoning population and rising urban demand, ECOWAS’s vast markets, and the dynamism of our private sector.

 “But we must also recognise the challenges: infrastructure gaps, limited access to finance, weak value-chain linkages, and non-tariff barriers. This is why a coordinated effort under the EAT Project, with NACCIMA as a central private-sector anchor, is so critical.”

The NACCIMA boss applauded GIZ and ECOWAS, its development partners, for entrusting NACCIMA with the responsibility.

He noted that the partnership promises stronger agricultural value chains, better market access, enhanced trade in food and agro-products, and a more vibrant role for the private sector in shaping regional trade in West Africa.

NACCIMA Director General Sola Obadimu emphasized that agriculture remains a major pillar of Nigeria’s economy, contributing about one-quarter of its GDP and supporting millions of livelihoods.

He, however, expressed regrets that despite its vast potential, the nation’s agricultural export earnings remain below expectation, even as the wider ECOWAS region with a population of over 400 million people continues to offer huge untapped market opportunities.

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The DG pointed out that the EAT Project is therefore timely, as it strengthens the collective effort to boost intra-regional agricultural trade, improve standards, remove non-tariff barriers, and support SMEs to participate more competitively in regional value chains.

Obadimu said: “For NACCIMA, this intervention aligns strongly with our mandate to promote trade, support private-sector competitiveness, and deepen regional integration.

 “Under this project, NACCIMA will lead a series of activities focused on capacity building and improving access to market information.

 “Our aim is simple: to ensure that Nigerian agribusinesses are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities within the ECOWAS market and contribute meaningfully to national and regional growth.”

Program Lead, GIZ- EAT, Arne Schuffenhauver, said the programme is funded by the German government, implemented in partnership with the ECOWAS Commission, and with many other partners in five countries of which Nigeria is one of them.

Schuffenhauver said ECOWAS trade is one of the biggest markets for food products in West Africa. He noted that the GIZ partnered NACCIMA because the Association gives services to members and non-members on how to better access markets, trade, go through inspections and customs in an efficient way.

The Program Lead for GIZ- EAT, while noting that NACCIMA is a strategic partner, said EAT project is important to really accelerate trade in food products.

He listed some of the benefits of the project to include enhanced knowledge, access to information, access to markets, to promote businesses of SMEs and those of youth and women.

Schuffenhauver said cross-border food trade is a big business valued at $10 billion, meaning there are a lot of opportunities though still laced with challenges for small and medium traders to invest, have access to finance, and to cross the borders without any obstacles.

He, however, said the project will support in the areas of small infrastructure, cool stores, solar-powered cool stores, including very simple things like transporting a product from a market to the next destination across the border with tricycles.

Principal Trade Promotion Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nancy Okpa, noted that the launch marks a significant milestone in regional economic cooperation by creating a structural platform for producers, processors, exporters, policy makers and development partners.

 “This initiative advances a shared vision of an integrated West African market where agricultural value chains thrive. Through this collaboration, barriers to trade are reduced, opportunities for inclusive growth are expanded,” she said.

Okpa noted that the framework for agricultural trade facilitation lies strongly with the Council’s mandate to support exporters, improve competitiveness and help Nigerian producers meet regional and global demands.

 “We particularly commend NACCIMA and GIZ for their commitment to empowering agricultural businesses and strengthening the capacities of all stakeholders. This initiative comes at a crucial time when strategic patterns are needed to unlock the immense potential of the West African agricultural sector,” she stated.

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