The African Union (AU) has officially designated Nigeria as the Digital Trade Champion for the continent under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Protocol.

This follows the country’s notable efforts in advancing digital enterprise and innovation.

This endorsement came at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where Nigeria’s significant contributions to the implementation of the digital trade protocol, adopted in February 2024, were celebrated.

The protocol aims to develop eight critical annexes, including areas such as rules of origin, digital identities, cross-border data transfers, public interest disclosures of source code, online safety and security, emerging technologies, and financial technology.