The Abuja Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI) has called on the Federal Government and Nigerian businesses to use the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through December 2028 as a strategic opportunity to expand the country’s non-oil exports, create jobs and build sustainable international market competitiveness.
In a policy statement titled “From AGOA Opportunity to Sustainable Export Competitiveness,” the Chamber said the 2026–2028 AGOA window should go beyond preferential access to the United States market and serve as a platform for strengthening Nigeria’s export capacity and diversifying the economy.
The ACCI noted that despite more than two decades of AGOA, Nigeria had not fully maximised the opportunities available under the framework, particularly in the non-oil sector.
According to the Chamber, challenges limiting Nigeria’s export performance include inadequate market intelligence, product quality and certification issues, packaging, regulatory compliance, production capacity, aggregation, logistics, financing and limited value addition.
The Chamber therefore called for stronger collaboration among the Federal Government, organised private sector, export-support institutions, financial institutions, regulatory agencies, development partners and business associations to maximise the remaining AGOA period.
Focus on Value-Added Exports
ACCI said Nigeria must urgently move from exporting raw commodities to producing, processing, packaging and branding internationally competitive products.
It identified shea butter, cashew, ginger, hibiscus, sesame and sesame oil, textiles and apparel, processed agricultural products, selected solid-mineral products and creative-industry outputs as areas with significant potential in the U.S. market.
The Chamber said greater domestic processing would help retain more value within Nigeria, stimulate industrial development, create employment and strengthen local production capacity.
Export Standards and Compliance
The Chamber also stressed the importance of meeting U.S. standards and regulatory requirements, including labelling, packaging, certification and traceability.
It announced plans to promote an Export Readiness Toolkit providing practical compliance guidance, market information, pre-export assessments and linkages with accredited testing and certification institutions.
ACCI further proposed aggregation and shared logistics mechanisms to enable MSMEs and small-scale exporters to consolidate products, access warehousing and secure more competitive transportation and freight arrangements.
Connecting Nigerian Exporters with U.S. Buyers
The Chamber emphasised that trade preferences would have limited impact unless they translated into actual commercial transactions.
It therefore called for increased business-to-business engagements, virtual and physical trade missions, reverse trade missions, buyer seller meetings and targeted market-linkage programmes connecting Nigerian exporters with U.S. importers and distributors.
The Chamber also plans to support the development of a digital directory of AGOA ready Nigerian exporters to give international buyers access to businesses with demonstrated export capability and compliance readiness.
ACCI Calls for Government Support
To improve Nigeria’s export competitiveness, the Chamber urged government to address policy, infrastructure and procedural bottlenecks.
Among its recommendations are the fast-tracking and digitisation of Certificates of Origin, targeted duty relief for machinery and equipment used in export oriented production and packaging, improved electricity supply, lower inland transportation and logistics costs, simplified export documentation and the development of an effective single-window system for export-related permits and approvals.
“AGOA Must Be a Launchpad, Not a Destination”
ACCI said Nigeria’s export strategy should extend beyond the lifespan of AGOA.
The Chamber stressed that Nigerian enterprises must build long-term competitiveness around quality, certification, innovation, ethical sourcing, branding, technology, productivity and value addition.
It further noted that capabilities developed through AGOA should enable Nigerian businesses to access other international markets, including opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Chamber called on manufacturers, agro-processors, MSMEs, creative enterprises and other export-oriented businesses to take decisive action during the 2026–2028 window by investing in export readiness, standards compliance, production, aggregation, branding, market development and buyer engagement.
It warned that the AGOA extension must not become another missed opportunity for Nigeria.
The President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Chief Emeka Obegolu, SAN, PhD, reaffirmed the Chamber’s commitment to working with government, the private sector, development partners, financial institutions, export-support agencies and international business partners to build a stronger Nigerian export economy.
The Chamber concluded that the AGOA extension represents more than a trade opportunity, describing it as “a national export imperative.”
