L-R: Assistant Controller of Customs, Osamwonyi Uzamere; President, Badagry Chamber of Commerce, Yahyah Oladiran Idris; Project Leader/Coordinator, ECOWAS Agricultural Trade (EAT) Project, Arne Schuffenhauer; President, NACCIMA, Engr. Jani Ibrahim; and Director-General, NACCIMA, Olushola Obadimu, at the launch of NACCIMA’s activities under the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade (EAT) Project, held at Radisson Hotel, Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, on Dec. 4, 2025.
David Oladimeji
The National Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), has joined forces with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in a fresh push to unlock the vast potential of cross-border agricultural trade across West Africa, with a strong focus on boosting exports and empowering small businesses.
The partnership was unveiled at the launch of NACCIMA’s activities under the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade (EAT) Programme, themed “Strengthening ECOWAS Agricultural Market to Drive Food Security and Regional Prosperity,” signaling a renewed commitment to regional economic integration through agriculture.
NACCIMA President, Mr Jani Ibrahim, said agriculture remains one of Nigeria’s strongest economic pillars, contributing 24.64 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product in the fourth quarter of 2024, with early 2025 figures rising to about 27.8 per cent following the rebasing of the GDP.
Despite this impressive contribution, Ibrahim lamented that Nigeria’s agricultural export performance remains far below its true potential, creating a gap that the EAT Project is designed to close through targeted private sector engagement.
He explained that the initiative aligns with NACCIMA’s core mandate of promoting trade, strengthening export competitiveness and creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurs, particularly those within the agribusiness value chain.
According to him, the project will tackle persistent challenges such as poor infrastructure, limited access to finance, weak value-chain linkages and the burden of non-tariff barriers that continue to slow regional trade.
Also speaking at the event, NACCIMA Director-General, Mr Sola Obadimu, described the ECOWAS market of over 400 million people as a goldmine waiting to be fully explored by Nigerian agribusinesses, especially small and medium enterprises.
Obadimu said the EAT Project would focus on capacity building, access to reliable market information and improved standards that would position Nigerian exporters to compete successfully within the regional market.
On the international partnership front, GIZ-EAT Programme Lead, Mr Arne Schuffenhauver, disclosed that the project is funded by the German Government and implemented with the ECOWAS Commission across five countries, including Nigeria, adding that cross-border food trade in West Africa alone is valued at about 10 billion dollars.
He revealed that beyond policy support, the project would invest in practical solutions such as small-scale infrastructure, solar-powered cold stores, transport logistics and access to finance to help traders, especially women and youth, grow profitable businesses across borders.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) threw its weight behind the initiative, with its Principal Trade Promotion Officer, Mrs Nancy Okpa, describing the collaboration as a turning point for regional agricultural trade that would reduce barriers, strengthen value chains and accelerate inclusive economic growth.
