Nigerian Foreign Policy and African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation

This study analyses Nigeria's foreign policy engagement with the African Continental Free Trade Area, examining the political and economic factors that shaped Nigeria's protracted decision to accede to the agreement in 2019 and assessing the governance challenges associated with implementing the agreement's commitments. Nigeria's initial hesitation to sign the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement despite its championing of African economic integration through the Economic Community of West African States was a significant diplomatic episode revealing the tensions between national economic interests and continental integration commitments. Using a qualitative foreign policy analysis design, the study draws on presidential speeches, National Assembly debates, industry association submissions, and interviews with trade policy officials and civil society trade monitors. The foreign policy analysis theory of two-level games and the political economy of regional integration framework are applied to analyse the decision-making dynamics. Findings reveal that Nigeria's accession decision was shaped by a complex interplay of manufacturing sector protection demands, informal cross-border trader interests, domestic electoral politics, and continental reputational concerns. Post-accession implementation has been constrained by inadequate customs modernisation, persistent non-tariff barriers, and coordination failures between the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry and the office of the special envoy on the agreement. Recommendations include a dedicated African Continental Free Trade Area implementation unit with adequate staffing, transparent monitoring of tariff compliance, and structured engagement with the private sector on implementing trade facilitation measures. Keywords: Nigerian foreign policy, African Continental Free Trade Area, regional integration, trade policy, two-level games