The African Continental Free Trade Area and International Trade Law: Assessing Implementation Challenges for Nigerian Exporters

This study empirically assesses the implementation challenges facing Nigerian exporters under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), analysing the legal, institutional, and practical barriers to realising the trade liberalisation benefits promised by Africa's landmark trade agreement. Nigeria, despite being the continent's largest economy, was one of the last major African states to ratify the AfCFTA, reflecting deep domestic ambivalence about trade liberalisation in strategic sectors. Using a mixed legal-empirical methodology combining treaty analysis with survey data from Nigerian exporters in the agricultural, manufacturing, and services sectors, the research examines how AfCFTA's rules of origin, tariff schedules, and non-tariff barrier elimination commitments translate into practical compliance requirements for Nigerian businesses. It analyses the institutional capacity of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN) and related agencies in implementing AfCFTA commitments and supporting Nigerian exporters. The paper fills a research gap by providing the first systematic empirical assessment of Nigeria-specific AfCFTA implementation barriers across multiple export sectors, updating earlier desk-based projections with field-verified findings. Findings indicate that rules of origin documentation requirements, inadequate customs modernisation, and limited exporter awareness of AfCFTA protocols are the primary barriers to export growth. An original capacity gap framework for AfCFTA implementation in developing economies is proposed. Recommendations include urgent investment in NOTN capacity, AfCFTA compliance training for exporters, and accelerated customs digitalisation. Keywords: AfCFTA, trade law, Nigerian exporters, rules of origin, implementation.