With less than six months to go until the fourth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) in Algeria, Nigerian trade and investment officials are ramping up efforts to mobilise the private sector and boost the country’s footprint in Africa’s $3.4 trillion single market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

This is even as the federal government revealed yesterday that plans are underway to launch Nigeria’s national intellectual property policy and strategy before the end of this month.

Speaking at a roadshow in Lagos via zoom, the Minister, Federal Ministry of industry, trade and investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, urged Nigerian businesses to take advantage of the fair as a platform to scale regionally.

She stated that the IATF is not just an exhibition, but rather a bridge to markets, partners, and policy dialogue across the continent. According to her, this is Nigeria’s opportunity to lead from the front in operationalising the AfCFTA.

Organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in collaboration with the African Union and the AfCFTA Secretariat, the IATF brings together thousands of buyers and sellers from across Africa and the diaspora to foster trade and investment linkages. The 2025 edition will be hosted in Algiers, Algeria, from September 4–10, 2025 under the theme; “Harnessing Regional and Continental Value Chains: Accelerating Africa’s Industrialization and Global Competitiveness under the AfCFTA.”

Echoing Oduwole’s remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nonye Ayeni,  highlighted the need for Nigeria to shift from export ambition to execution.

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Vice President of Intra-African Trade Bank at Afreximbank, Kanayo Awani, said the 2025 fair will feature seven days of high-level business engagements, trade deals, cultural showcases, and creative economy forums.