Oyo govt positions self as export hub with AfCFTA implementation

Oyo has positioned itself as a major player in global trade and a strategic export hub for other states seeking access to international markets, following the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) strategy.

The Secretary to the Oyo State Government (SSG), Professor Musibau Babatunde, stated this during a Training of Trainers workshop organised for stakeholders involved in the implementation of the AfCFTA strategy in the state.

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According to Prof. Babatunde, Oyo is the first sub-national government in Africa to sign and domesticate the AfCFTA strategy, a step he described as deliberate, strategic, and forward-looking. He explained that the state embraced the initiative in view of its immense potential to expand market access, eliminate tariff barriers, and create new export opportunities for products from Oyo State across the African continent.

The SSG noted that the AfCFTA framework would significantly boost the state’s agricultural sector, particularly in increasing export volumes and meeting rising demand for agricultural produce. He added that the state is being deliberately positioned as a connective export hub within the West African sub-region, where other states can leverage Oyo State’s infrastructure and systems to export their goods.

Beyond agriculture, Prof. Babatunde said the AfCFTA strategy also offers opportunities to promote Oyo State’s services sector, including education, healthcare, tourism, and other service-based industries.

He described the initiative as an integrated platform that brings together state and non-state actors, stressing that its success depends largely on capacity building. This, he said, informed the decision to organise the Training of Trainers workshop.

According to him, participants at the workshop are being exposed to the opportunities embedded in the AfCFTA implementation strategy, integrated value chains, regulatory frameworks, and the critical roles regulators must play to ensure compliance and successful execution. He added that the trainees are expected to return to their respective associations to cascade the knowledge acquired, thereby ensuring effective grassroots implementation of the AfCFTA strategy across the state.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Special Adviser on International Trade and African Continental Free Trade Area, Ms. Neo Theodore T. Lhaselo, commended the AfCFTA Secretariat, partners, and participants for their dedication and commitment to the implementation of the strategy in Oyo State.

She noted that no government can successfully implement the AfCFTA without significant investment, urging partners to explore ways of investing in the initiative rather than relying solely on government funding. She added that the training would help to realign plans and harmonise strategies from development partners with the state’s objectives under the AfCFTA framework.