The European Union’s Economic Partnership Agreement and Professional Trade Management in the Nigerian Private Sector

This study examines how Nigerian private sector enterprises are managing the professional and operational dimensions of the EU-ECOWAS Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations and its implications for trade strategy. The EPA process has been characterised by protracted negotiations, concerns about asymmetric impacts on West African industries, and debates about ECOWAS regional integration. Nigerian private sector actors, including exporters, manufacturers, and industry associations, must navigate a complex regulatory landscape shaped by both emerging EPA commitments and domestic trade policy. This applied research draws on interviews with trade managers, export compliance officers, and industry association representatives from Lagos, Kano, and Onitsha, supplemented by analysis of ECOWAS EPA negotiation documents and Nigerian Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment policy communications published between 2020 and 2024. The study examines professional awareness and capacity levels among Nigerian trade managers regarding EPA obligations, and identifies the institutional support mechanisms, including the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN), that assist the private sector in EPA engagement. Findings offer practical recommendations for professional trade management capacity building and inform postgraduate curricula on European trade relations and African trade policy. Keywords: EU EPA, Nigerian private sector, trade management, ECOWAS, trade policy.