At the 2026 Annual General Meeting in Kano, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) declared a state of “strategic urgency” for Nigerian exports. Ambassador Janet Olisa, Chairperson of NACCIMA Global, revealed that despite lucrative bilateral agreements—including China’s zero-tariff policy on 90% of Nigerian exports—local businesses are failing to reap rewards due to a massive “knowledge and standards gap.”
The Rejection Reality Check A major pain point highlighted was the consistent rejection of Nigerian commodities in international markets. To stop the trend of Nigerian goods being turned back at global borders, NACCIMA Global is deploying a mechanism to bridge the disconnect between high-level government MoUs and the actual readiness of the private sector.
NACCIMA Global’s 5-Point “Competitiveness” Strategy To turn trade potential into tangible cash flow, Ambassador Olisa outlined five core pillars:
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Standards Certification & Formalization: Partnering with government agencies to ensure products meet stringent international health and quality codes.
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Resource Mobilization & Enablement: Unlocking capital and physical resources for exporters.
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Knowledge, Data, & Market Intelligence: Educating traders on specific market demands in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
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Policy Engagement: Acting as a “direct pipeline” to ensure government policies support, rather than hinder, trade.
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Regional Integration: Leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to scale local industries.
Capacity Building: From EAT to ACE National President Engr. Jani Ibrahim emphasized that NACCIMA is moving beyond advocacy into “enterprise engineering”:
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ECOWAS Agricultural Training (EAT): A specialized program designed to equip agrifood traders with business management skills and regulatory compliance tools.
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ACE Platform: In partnership with the University of Lagos and CIPE, NACCIMA is launching a “Chamber Development” diploma to professionalize how local chambers support their members.
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German Financing: The association is currently in talks with ODDO-BHF of Germany to facilitate affordable, single-digit, long-term loans for its members.
The Bottom Line The consensus from Kano is clear: Nigeria has the agreements, but not yet the “standard.” By focusing on commodity certification and technical education, NACCIMA aims to move the private sector from being “observers of MoUs” to active, high-earning players in the global $1 trillion trade game.
